Unlikely Match: The Key
by Timothynvb
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia wears a Matcher, a magical lock or key that cannot be released until their soulmate is found and bonded. Determined to find her one true since she can remember, her efforts have proved fruitless. Until, she moves back to Magnolia, where she was born. There, she meets a boy with pink hair and a scarf. However, Lucy needs to fight to find her key. The key.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Heh... I've been away for more than a year and I know I said I wasn't going to be gone for long. I've been having major writer's block but I actually have two stories half written. I just couldn't get myself to finish them but finally, after a long, long time, I present to you, my newest fanfic! The beginning will jump around time a bit and it'll probably get confusing for some of you, and that's ok, so just sit tight and all will be explained later in the story. Also, please excuse my typos, I have reread it multiple times to edit it but they're hard to find.**

 **So just a little bit of context, this is a soulmate fanfic and was inspired by a prompt from Tumblr. This is NaLu, but it does contain a little GaLe, Gruvia and Jerza. Also, just a warning for all the readers, the characters are extremely OOC (yea... I have a tendency of doing that...) and I'm so, so sorry but I just hope to reflect their personalities as much as I can paired with the situation I put them in.**

 **Ok! So now that's all out of the way, my updating schedule will be every 2nd day usually in the morning AEST (but if I wake up late, then it might be later than that... heh). The exception of this rule will be the 2nd chapter, which will be posted a week after the 1st. From there, then I will update every second day. I will try my best to work with the updating schedule but if there happen to be any unseen circumstances, than I do apologise. This story is also only 11 chapters long so please keep reading till then!**

 **Just a quick rant as well, I'm so emotional about the Fairy Tail manga... the last chapter comes out this week and I am not ok. My heart isn't ready and I don't think I'll ever be ready. Gosh, I just thought I'd address the manga as it's ending. It's been a good run but let's hope that the anime comes back soon to fill the void (and I'm praying for some amazing animation and soundtrack! Fingers crossed).**

 **Anyways, without further ado... Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy tail or its characters!**

* * *

" _No! Please! Don't… don't leave me…" The pink-haired teen shrieked as he held onto her arm. "Please… we can work this out. We belong together…"_

" _Natsu… stop being so selfish and childish." The brown-haired female bit her lip as she tried to hold in her tears. "It didn't work out so, why should I stay?"_

" _Because we love each other, right? These Matchers, they don't mean anything! It shouldn't mean anything!" Grabbing onto his shirt, as if a hole had been burnt through his chest, Natsu tried his hardest to hold on._

" _Just stop… it's over. We honestly did try. I'm sorry, ok?"_

" _No… after everything we went through, you're willing to let it all go? You don't even want to be friends!"_

" _We can't be friends, it would be too hard… I just- I need to focus on getting into the college I want and us not being soulmates, is not going to help. My family's moving away too so, it's not going to work. You just have to accept that."_

" _I was there for you… and you were there for me… our history…" Natsu let go of her arm and dropped his to the ground. "Please don't leave me… Lexi…?"_

" _Don't… I know I'm being selfish, but we would never work outside of high school."_

 _As Natsu kneeled on the ground, Lexi turned her head away from him and her past, walking out of the door._

" _I'm sorry…"_

" _Don't… go… Don't leave me…"_

* * *

'Prologue'

(This will occur later in the story)

The blonde female hadn't slept a wink last night. She hadn't even had a good sleep for months but the previous night had destroyed any hope for rest, along with her frail heart.

Looking down at the intricate piece of jewellery hanging from her neck that resembled a lock, Lucy ran her fingers across it. The blonde jumped out of bed and ran down her stairs, rummaging through every and any drawer she could lay her hands on. Fatigue took over as she tripped and ran into multiple pieces of furniture.

Finally, Lucy found the hardware she was looking for. Lifting the heavy hammer into her small hands, Lucy braced herself as she swung towards her chest, aiming for the locket. It struck both her ribs and the metal, sending her back a few steps. As if there was a delayed effect, the female suddenly felt a sharp pain at her side, then it coursed throughout her whole body. The necklace cracked slightly up the edge. Screaming in pain, Lucy collapsed onto the floor.

* * *

On Earth and across all the lands that are a part of the planet, live only a few types of magic. One of them, is brought through a piece of jewellery called a Matcher. On every child's first birthday, a ceremony occurs where they are brought to one of the million Matcher facilities to pick, on their own accord, their Matcher.

The piece of jewellery is then bonded to the holder and bonded to the corresponding Matcher and its soulmate. A child will either choose a lock or a key which will grow with them as they age. It is then, that the piece of jewellery will be locked, with no way to remove it until the day soulmates share another type of magic. However, Matchers will only ever be 'unlocked' if both parties share something.

This form of magic was created so the heartbreak of not finding love, not being loved or not loving, could be avoided. However, this way of life has proven to not be as efficient as the creators first thought. Many challenges can arise with this solution. Only prophesies, legends and myths are available to tell the story of how such a thing was brought into the world but none have been confirmed as fact, only folklore.

* * *

On Lucy's birthday, her mother and father took her to the facility and they laid her amongst millions of pieces of paper that had a certain code on it for the piece of jewellery. Some were crumpled together, some were folded and placed into a container to pick out from and most were just sprawled out on the floor. Lucy crawled past most of them but picked none. She sat in the middle and cried as her parents were confused about what the procedures were to counteract such a situation.

Suddenly, an unknown source of wind blew through and picked up all the pieces of paper. Once at the ceiling, the wind dropped and the papers floated down. Lucy's mother only describes the wind as being a kind of magic. Much to everyone's surprise, only one piece of paper landed on Lucy's small hands. Happily, Layla picked up her daughter, rambling about how cute the soulmate will be while she handed the paper to the worker.

However, something caught baby Lucy's eyes. She started screaming, crying and kicking and once Layla's put her on the floor, Lucy bolted to the door of the room. As fast as her little legs could take her, her little bottom swaying back and forth, the blonde reached the door. Leaning onto it for support, she pulled out a folded piece of paper from the gap in the door and waved in the air, giggling.

Layla kneeled in front of her and smiled, knowing that that was the one. Giving, it to the worker, who mumbled something about having to clean up the mess, he put the code into the system and went to the back to grab Lucy's Matcher. A few minutes later, he emerged from a vault and handed an intricate locket with a chain to Layla.

The mother took a glimpse at the unclasped chain and slowly clipped it together, letting it hang on Lucy's neck. The chain glowed gold and readjusted the size to the small figure. Lucy giggled and bounced up and down as Layla kissed her lightly, looking up a Jude who simply smiled back.

* * *

Around 2 years before 'prologue'

"So… what school did you go to?" Lucy asked as she twirled spaghetti onto her fork.

"I was actually home-schooled by my father. He was a professor at the college in my hometown. Even though it sounds like I'm some smart, stuck-up kid, I actually really suck at studying… my dad doesn't like that at all." Mike sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling at himself.

"I bet he wouldn't. I was actually home-schooled as well till high school but…"

"Let me guess: you're smart too."

"I wouldn't say that… Although I did get a full scholarship into high school." The blonde tucked a blonde strand of hair behind her ear, batting her eyelashes as she blushed.

"How is that possible? You're beautiful, funny and smart? How is that… how is that even fair?" Ruffling his black hair with his hands, he smiled at her, his eyes crinkling at the sides.

"Well you can't talk! Didn't you just tell me that you made into Cambridge Falls Academy? That's got to be one of the best colleges in Fiore."

"What about you? I haven't heard you talk about a college yet. You probably got a full scholarship to Anton Burke Academy, didn't you? When we first met, you had 'pride of Anton Burke' written all over your face!" Since he had finished his dinner, he leaned forward on his arm, getting real close but Lucy didn't mind.

"I'm actually not going to attend college. I feel like it isn't my thing. I don't know where I want to go from here on out so what would I study? I just… I think I'll find another way to stable my life."

"Well I just want you to know, that whatever you do, I'm sure it'll all work out. You're capable of anything, it seems." Mike leaned back and took a deep breath, rubbing the side of his face. "I've had a really good night, Lucy."

 _Wow… he's such a dream boat. He must be the one. We've been on, what? 4 dates now? I hope he's the one… after the hundreds of dates and hundreds of 'trial boyfriends' that I've had, my luck has to be on someone._

"As did I. We really seem to click, don't we?"

"Hm. I know this is a little sudden and abrupt but I just don't want to go through heartbreak after a possible serious relationship. I just..." Mike looked down at his lap as he bit his lip nervously. "I don't want to send any hard feelings…"

Lucy sighed, her shoulders slouching. "I know what you're getting at. You want to try our Matchers, don't you?"

"W-w-well… if you're ok with it, of course."

"Don't worry about it, I understand that you want to make sure. I have a lock… do you happen to have a key?" Lucy pulled the necklace out from her cleavage, showing him.

"Phew, that's a good start. I've got a key." Mike leaned in close, their noses almost touching and around them, people stopped what they were doing to witness a life changing moment. Mike laughed as he sat back into his seat, giving the starers weird glances. "Do you want to go for walk? Maybe a little privacy will be better?"

"I'd like that. Except, I'm paying."

After bickering like children for close to 10 minutes, they ended up splitting the bill and Mike joked, hoping that it won't happen every time. The couple walked next to a river, the stars reflected onto its dark surface. Lucy felt instantly calmer. Stopping at a bench, they sat down.

"Are you ok?" Mike inquired.

"Y-yeah. I'm ok. It's just that I haven't had very good luck with these things."

"I guess it's up to chance. I just wanted to say, that I really like you, Lucy." His cheeks went rosy, anyone could see, even in the dark.

"I really like you too…" The blonde tried her best to hide the hopelessness in her voice but failed as she already knew what would happen.

The both reached for each other's Matchers, feeling the cold material in their fingers. Lucy placed the key into her own necklace delicately. There was no turn, no click, nothing. Pulling apart, Lucy turned away to wipe her tears that had somehow made their way down her cheeks.

"Hey… Lucy. We can still be friends. I know that it hurts but your soulmate is out there and unfortunately, it's not me. But I assure you, whoever is your soulmate, is one lucky person." Mike wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Thank you, Mike. I think we'd be better as friends anyways. I just thought I'd grab onto any sliver of hope that I can."

After walking Lucy home, Mike said his goodbyes and the blonde felt even more alone than she thought she would. Walking into her house, the female collapsed, her knees and body becoming weak under all the weight. This was the last straw. After so many dates and people she's met, none seemed to be her soulmate. She had lost count at how many times she's failed. In her mind, her mother's hopeful face flashed before her.

"Mama… what am I supposed to do…? This is so stupid I shouldn't even be that sad but I'm so frustrated! If this stupid piece of jewellery is supposed to make my love-life easier, it's not! I just… it's not fair! Everyone seems to find their soulmate as soon as they're out of diapers but me?" Lucy crawled to her lounge room window, opening it up, feeling the wind on her tear stained cheeks.

Looking at the stars, Lucy rambled on, "What if…? Mama… what if my soulmate doesn't exist? What if I'm an anomaly in the system and there wasn't even a soulmate out there for me to begin with. What if, somewhere out there, they died? I know we're supposed to be bonded but what if there's something wrong with me and I didn't feel it. You always told me that I had some magic in me, that you saw it on my first birthday. What if instead, it was a curse?"

Lucy had stopped crying and her body felt numb. She had come to a conclusion.

* * *

 **Next time, on Unlikely Match: The Key:**

 **Natsu grabbed her arm, stopping her from going any further. "Are we going to see each other again? You're weird..."**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter and the preview! Please hang around for the next chapter that will be posted next week! (Tuesday morning AEST).**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! Thank you for those who have already jumped onto the wagon and read the first chapter of my story! Special thanks for those who have reviewed, favourited and followed! Anyways, let's get to the story. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

A few months later, Lucy said her farewells to her friends and Mike, who had become one of her closest buddies. She had decided that a new start was in order after high school ended. Magnolia was her destination.

Once arriving, the blonde instantly felt at home. Though she was born there, her memories were hazy. The only thing to go off by were her mother's fond words. After settling into a cosy home, that she had found for a pretty price, Lucy went out in search for a job.

Walking around for only a few minutes, the blonde stumbled upon a large mall. It seemed out of place compared to the rustic looking town. At the front of the doors, there were many people handing out flyers for the products that were being sold or for, to Lucy's luck, recruitment opportunities.

Skipping up to the front, Lucy put on her best smile and greeted a random group, who looked nice enough.

"Hi! Um, I noticed you needed employees. What does the job entitle?"

The pair of girls looked at each other and shrugged. The red-haired woman began speaking. "Our store just recently opened up so there's not many people working there yet. It's a beauty boutique but we also sell our own line of clothes. Do you have any experience with this industry?"

"Well… I don't know much about makeup, although I am a fast learner! I'm very organised so I can do your records and I'm pretty good at stocking shelves and I'm a fast clothes folder. Is that a good enough resume?" Lucy gave them a lopsided grin, feeling the pressure of failure collapse on her.

"I like you, you seem cool. We can get other workers to do the makeup side of things but we definitely need some hands on deck." The blunette smiled sweetly and handed her a business card and a pamphlet with directions.

"So… I'm hired?"

"For sure! Come meet us after hours today for the specifics. I'm assuming that you're new around here, so go explore." The blue-haired female's face dropped as she suddenly remembered something. Fumbling with all the flyers, brochures and cards in her hands, she extended one for Lucy to shake. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Levy McGarden, in charge of the finance and recruitment side of things. You'll meet the other's later."

"Oh! Well I'm Lucy Heartfilia." Feeling a strong gaze, Lucy turned her head to look at the other female standing beside Levy. "H-hi!"

"I'm Erza, Erza Scarlet. I'm in charge of maintaining the business." She shook Lucy's hand like she was shaking a pancake mix.

Levy leaned up to her and whispered, "well she's really in charge of everything 'cause she's quite bossy. Don't get on her bad side." The two giggled.

"It was nice meeting you two and thank you for the opportunity of letting me work with each of you. I'm going to excuse myself to go check everything out." Lucy bowed politely and hurried off.

* * *

After a lot of exploring, while also finding the boutique, Lucy felt her legs drag behind her. She had been there for hours but the mall seemed to go on forever. Lucy liked shopping as much as the next person but she didn't ask for a marathon. Although the place was confusing and had way too many shops for one area, Lucy loved the variety and how welcomed she felt.

Finally nearing the last section of the shopping centre, something caught her eye. Lucy stopped walking and stared at the small store, which was hidden in between a large shoe shop and a pharmacy. Lucy scrummaged through her bag and whipped on a black cap. Topping the look off, she flipped on the hood of her jacket, keeping her head down as she neared the store.

As she entered it, her body felt drawn to it, like nothing she's felt before.

"How… strange…" Lucy mumbled.

It was a comic, games and book store. There were quite a few people bustling here and there, buying merchandise or browsing the wide selection. There were children over at a couched area playing games at a TV, screaming and giggling.

"Hi! Can I help you with anything?" A male worker skipped over to her.

She shuffled uncomfortably in her spot and shook her head. Quickly, Lucy waddled to the back of the shop, hiding behind one of the shelves. Lucy had always loved games and comics and all that good stuff. Her mother and father would always spend their weekends playing with her on the big screen at their mansion. She was constantly being bullied by both the girls and boys at her school for always being over-excited and passionate about everything, especially games and comics.

Lucy never understood their logic but her mother said they were just jealous that she was different. So, as time went on, Lucy started hiding her passions and she became closed in.

Breathing in and out deeply, Lucy collected herself and began searching through the place. Running her fingers across the many books, she felt calm. Half an hour passed and Lucy was still in there, going through every nook and cranny, exhaustion leaving her.

For the whole time she was there, the worker kept his eye on her. He picked up the phone and dialled a number as he leaned on the counter, watching the mysterious person's every move.

"Hey dude. There's this guy at the store and he's been here for ages. I feel like he's stolen something and is gonna make a run for it." He listened into the phone and loudly whispered, "no! I haven't confronted them yet! I don't want to start trouble again. Last time was already bad enough! I still haven't paid for all the damage and you know I've been working my ass off!"

Squinting his eyes at the figure, he covered his mouth and spoke even quieter. "They're wearing a black hood, black cap and track pants… suspicious, I know! Ok, ok. I'll go over to him but I'm telling boss that it's your fault if anything happens. Hey! I'm not reckless! I can be cool about it! If you don't believe me, then come over here and you'll see that the criminal will be gone and nothing will be damaged. Fine! I'll bet you 15 bucks." He hung up the phone and jumped over the counter in a swift motion, making his way to the hooded figure.

Lucy immediately felt someone coming towards her so she faced the corner, pretending to be intrigued in something on the bottom shelf. Crouching down, she pulled her cap lower. Her heart beat quickened and her breathing hitched in her throat, making her feel light-headed. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Um… could I ask you to take off your hood and hat? I'm not being a weirdo or anything but it's just in case you try to steal something, I know what you look like. Just so you know, I'm just doing my job."

Lucy had no control over her body and she shook her head, making her look even more suspicious.

"Then could you at least stand up. It looks like you're taking a dump or you're hiding something."

"A dump…?" Lucy furrowed her eyebrows as she giggled quietly.

"What? You do look like you're taking a dump!"

Lucy jolted slightly as she realised he had heard her.

"So… could you let me see your face?" Natsu placed his hand on her shoulder and Lucy immediately snapped around, slapping it off.

As she was doing so, one of her flailing arms knocked into the bill of her cap, her hood and hat falling off. Her blonde hair fell out of the hat, flowing onto her shoulders and down her back. Lucy felt her heart stop as she realised what had happened, her eyes growing wide.

The male let his hand fall to his side as he stood there, completely frozen. Her eyes captivated him, as if they were staring into his soul, reading his past and his future. His palms started to sweat and his hand found its way to his scarf.

Lucy felt her eyes relax as she stared into his, her breathing now shallower than before, if that was even possible. However, she no longer felt nauseous. Snapping out of her daze, Lucy bowed, her hair coming off her shoulders and to her face.

"I'm sorry for causing any trouble, I'm new here and just wanted to look around. I wasn't planning on taking anything and I know I look suspicious but I don't feel comfortable." Lucy straightened her back and avoided eye contact with him. "I wasn't going to commit a crime."

"Well, I know that now. But next time, just come as you are, no need for the creepy getup. You can be comfortable here. No-one's going to judge you if that's what you're worried about." The boy smiled with his teeth showing.

"Thank you…"

"No problem! Since you said you're new, how about making your first friend? I'm Natsu, your neighbourhood maniac." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and extended his other hand for her to shake.

"I'm Lucy the... neighbourhood newbie?" She shrugged her shoulders and laughed at herself. Lucy stopped as she noticed Natsu laughing too, his eyes closed and his canines showing. _Pink hair? He probably dyed it…_ Lucy looked at her watch and gasped. "Oh no! I better get going. It was nice meeting you, Natsu." Lucy walked around him after picking up her hat from the ground.

Natsu grabbed her arm, stopping her from going any further. "Are we going to see each other again? You're weird…"

Feeling slightly offended, the blonde responded cautiously. "Um… sure. I live here now and I have a potential job at a shop here too. You'll probably see my face around. I've really got to get going, so, I'll catch you later?" Lucy smiled, her head tilted slightly.

"For sure."

"Hey! Natsu! Have ya trashed the plac-" A raven-haired boy ran into the store, stopping at the counter. He halted in his tracks as Lucy jogged passed him. He followed where she had come from and saw his friend standing in the middle of the aisle, running a hand through his hair. "What. Did. I. Miss."

Natsu sighed, a smile gracing his lips. "Well, you missed something alright."

* * *

 **So, they've finally met, eh? Perhaps... there was a spark?**

 **Next time, on Unlikely Match:**

 **"Natsu... Yesterday, something... happened." Lucy stopped walking and twiddled her thumbs as she bit her lower lip.**

 **OHHHHHH what's Lucy gotta say to Natsu? What the heck happened? A lot of things are going to be progressing on the next chapter so keep an eye out for it the day after tomorrow!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone! I hope that you all are enjoying my story and I've kept you on your toes (kinda). Thank you for all your reviews and favourites, they really mean a lot to me. You guys are honestly amazing and so supportive (even if I'm a horrific writer). But! It's only the third chapter so, let's get on with the story! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Lucy finally made it to the boutique, completely out of breath and sweating. Levy walked up to her with a water bottle in hand.

"You got lost, didn't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

The blonde laughed sheepishly before taking a swig of the water. "Yeah, that and I lost track of time."

"Well, it's ok. You're actually early and all the girls are still here. We're just doing a little clean up so we don't have to do it tomorrow. But let me introduce you to everyone!" The petite girl grabbed Lucy's arm and took her around the neat store.

It had clean white tiles but a colourful pattern on the walls. It all worked together with the colours on the shelves that Lucy was entranced. Levy stopped at a girl with darker blue hair than Levy's. She was wearing a blue dress and had pale skin.

"Juvia, this here is Lucy. She's going to be joining our crew."

"Hello Lucy. We now seem to have quite a group. Welcome." Her face was stoic but there was a sense of genuine-ness.

"Thank you." Lucy shook her hand and took a mental note of remembering her name.

"Juvia here is in charge of marketing and she's one of our beauticians. Ok! Let's get a move on before everyone starts to leave."

Lucy waved and they went to another part of the store. There, stood a beautiful woman with curves of a goddess who wore a flowy pink dress, her elegant white hair seeming to move in the non-existent breeze gracefully. The blonde instantly recognised the star and she felt her knees go week.

"Lucy, this is-"

"Mirajane Strauss. Hi. I'm Lucy… and you're Mirajane. You're Lucy… and I'm Mirajane…" Lucy heard herself breathe out.

Mira giggled softly, her blue eyes sparkling brightly. "Hi, you're Lucy, I presume." The blonde nodded silently. "I do most of the customer relations here but I'm also a clothes councillor, as I like to call it, and a beautician. I hope we can work together for a long time!"

"Yes. Me too."

"Oh! Have you met my sister yet?" Lucy shook her head. Mira pointed to one of the corners of the store. "She's the one folding the jeans over in the corner. Her name's Lisanna and she's only a part-time worker here since she's studying."

"Wow, she's so beautiful like you."

Mira placed a hand on her cheek and blushed. "Why thank you, Lucy. Well, we better head home to our brother. You see, he's a little reckless and he seemed to have gotten sick. I'll see you girls tomorrow though." Mira waved good-bye and the girls moved on.

Heading to the back, three girls were standing there chatting while one was sitting on the table, a bottle in her hand.

"Girls! We have a new recruit!" Levy skipped to them as she held Lucy's hand. "This is Lucy. The one drinking on the job, is Cana. She's our resident alcoholic and freeloader but occasionally she does tarot readings for our customers."

Cana snorted as she took another chug at her bottle. "You don't pay me enough..."

"We barely pay you at all." Bisca giggled.

"The cutie behind the counter is Kinana, she's our receptionist and deals with the customers. And finally, this is Bisca. She's our other beautician and clothes fitter and sometimes her daughter comes to work with her so, don't be alarmed." Lucy greeted them and they instantly clicked with her.

"Wow... I've gotta admit, this is a little intimidating. I hope we'll be together for a long time!"

* * *

A few months had passed and Lucy integrated into the community seamlessly. Her and Natsu became great friends and he introduced her to Gray, who quickly became like an older brother. She felt like she belonged there but Mike and her soon lost contact.

"Hey Luce! What are you doing?" Natsu jogged up next to her. "I thought we were supposed to walk to work together? I went to your house but you weren't there. At least warn me!" The male sighed as he slowed his pace, rubbing the top of her head. "I thought someone kidnapped you!"

"Sorry, Natsu. I completely forgot."

"How could you forget? We've been doing this every day! I feel betrayed…" Small tears sprouted in the corners of his eyes, his lips formed a pout.

"Natsu… Yesterday, something… happened." Lucy stopped walking and twiddled her thumbs as she bit her lower lip.

Natsu continued walking as he rested both hands on the back of his head. "What? Stop with the random words, c'mon. You know I'm not patient."

"I met someone… and… he was perfect." The blonde looked up at the sky and breathed in, smiling.

Natsu stopped walking. "Oh. It was a boy?" Turning away, he let his eyes drop. "In what **way** was he perfect?"

"In every way. He's smart, funny, charismatic, handsome, tall, understanding, kind and just… so genuine." Sighing, Lucy continued walking, her heart fluttering.

"Oh. Do you… like him? Are you guys a thing or you just trialling?" Natsu trudged behind her, his heart heavy.

"I think I do like him. I mean, it was only one date."

"You went on a date with him? What if he's a murderer? What if he's some pervert? What if he… ok I can't think of anything else. But you have to know who he is before going on a date! When did you guys meet?! I was with you yesterday and you didn't say anything!"

"I… met him yesterday. After we walked home together, I decided to work on my book and I got hungry. I went to that cute café we like and he was just there."

"What?! That makes no sense! He was just... **there**?"

"I didn't spill my coffee on him or anything cliche like that. There were no empty tables to sit at so I could eat and he offered me one across from him. It was really sweet." The blonde giggled, "it feels like it happened yesterday... oh wait-"

"Luce! You can't just eat with random people! What if-"

"Natsu! Can't you just be happy for me? You know how hard it's been… I feel like I've finally found the one... as crazy as that might sound. I just… I need you to be there to support me."

Natsu sighed as he rubbed his head. "Yeah, yeah. I know, Luce. I'm just worried. I don't want you to get hurt. You **just** met him."

"Well, I felt something with him, nothing like I've felt with all the other people I've been on dates with. Even if he isn't the one for me, even if our Matchers don't fit, it shouldn't matter." Lucy slapped her cheeks. "Why am I even talking like this? It's been one date, Lucy! Calm down…"

Natsu shook his head and started walking once more. "C'mon, Luce. We're gonna be late for work." The pink-haired male turned to face forward, he could feel the tug at his heart but he made no effort to ignore it. He deserved to feel the pain.

~ A Few Weeks Later ~

"So… how was your date?" Natsu rested his chin on the palm of his hand, his other tapping the top of the table.

"It was more amazing than the last one. I didn't even know if that was possible but it was!" The blonde hid her face with her hands, her body jiggling with excitement and embarrassment.

"Wow… you're really into him. Is it going to get serious? It's been, what, three dates?! You don't even know everything about him yet!" The male leaned in closer, almost whispering, "he could have some weird fetishes or he could be a complete pervert…" Natsu leaned back and laughed, his hand running through his hair.

"Natsu! I mean, if he was a pervert, I wouldn't have gone on a second, let alone third date. Weird fetishes though… I can look pass that." Lucy cupped her cheeks, her eyes sparkling.

The male chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Just be careful… but I'm glad you're happy, Luce."

"Thanks, Natsu. That means a lot to me."

"The last time you were this happy, I think it was when I got you ice-cream." Looking her up and down, he shook his head. "This isn't good. You should lose some weight, especially since you've got a little crush now." With that comment, Natsu got up and started running.

"NATSU! COME BACK HERE, YOU RASCAL!"

The pair dodged crowds of people finding their way into the food court as they pushed against the current. Natsu and Lucy always found themselves smiling and happy when they were together, an intangible bond that could not be broken.

Natsu stopped running as they reached his store, his lungs screaming for air. Turning around, his best friend was right behind him, fist in the air and red-faced.

"Whoa, whoa… calm down, Luce! I was just teasing." He didn't even flinch at the punches being thrown at him.

"Teasing?! Oh yeah, and that marathon you just made me run was a tease too."

" **I** didn't make you run it! You ran it yourself!"

"Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean… But we didn't even get to finish our food!" Lucy crossed her arms under her chest, her lips forming a pout.

" **Our** food? I finished ages ago! Not my fault you take too long to eat. I even paid this time too so you shoulda' shoved it down your throat when you had the chance." Looking down at Lucy, Natsu sighed as she tugged at his scarf, her head hanging low. "What's the matter, Luce?"

"So… before we go back to work, I wanted to finish my recount about what happened yesterday." The blonde was barely whispering but she knew Natsu could hear it.

"Hey, I don't think I want to know the rest of what happened. If you guys did some weird stuff I don't need any details..."

"Natsu…" Her voice stopped his playfulness and he grabbed her shoulders, letting her know he was listening. "Natsu… he asked me if I wanted to see if our Matchers fit…"

"Already? It was only the third date and he was already curious? Maybe he wanted to get serious so he wanted to know before he got too attached." The male smiled sweetly, recognising the dread in her eyes. "Well, what did you say?"

"I told him that I wasn't comfortable with it and that it shouldn't matter what a stupid piece of jewellery says. I then kept rambling and told him that it's about what the person feels, not fate. That you make your own fate. I kept going so now everything else is a blur." The female sighed, her shoulders dropping even lower, if that were possible.

"It **was** your third date, right? You're getting all 'love' and 'let's be together forever' vibes very quickl-sorry! I shouldn't say anything. You're happy… So, what did he say?"

"It was… strange. He completely agreed with me and said he felt the same way. He only asked the question because he thought that I wanted to know and he was being a gentleman by asking." Lucy moved strands of hair behind her ear, her eyes scanning Natsu's face. His eyebrows were furrowed but his eyes were stern. A strange combination. "Are you o-"

"So, he's not a weirdo. Seems like I can trust him. But I never asked… what's his name? Should I just call him Voldemort while I'm at it?" The male stretched his back, straightening his clothes out casually as Lucy huffed out smoke.

"His name is Onyx. Pretty cool name if you ask me."

"Cooler than, 'Natsu Dragneel'?" There was a slight scoff in his voice as he raised one eyebrow.

"Of course his name's cooler!"

"That's not fair… well you're going to be late and Erza's gonna kick your ass. I'll see you this afternoon!" Natsu turned to walk into the store but Lucy called out to him.

"I forgot to tell you. Onyx is coming to pick me up today. We're going on a walk together."

"OH! I see how it is... So, first he takes your time up and now he takes **my** job of walking home with you? What a thief!" The male rolled his eyes and sighed. "Am I going to meet him?"

"What are you? My overprotective dad? If you need the validation, sure. You can meet him."

"I'll see you this afternoon then." Ruffling Lucy's hair, he returned to work.

The evening rolled around slowly, Lucy filled with anticipation and Natsu filled with suspicion. After the pair packed up their stores, cleaning and getting ready for the next day, they met up at the food court. The male felt a tug in his stomach but pushed it away as they started walking. Once they reached outside, a figure was leaning on a light-post, hands in pockets.

Natsu looked up at the sky and noticed it had already turned quite dark, dusk already upon them. Noticing Lucy shiver slightly, the male wrapped his arms around her, warming her up instantly. Lucy nodded in thanks and pointed to the dark-haired figure in the distance.

"That's him over there."

"What a cool kid, eh?" The pink-haired male chuckled.

Lucy giggled, "yeah, whatever." Cupping her hands over her mouth, the blonde called out, "hey! Onyx!"

The figure turned to face them, Natsu noticing a smile grace his lips as he strode over. He had an aura of confidence but also seemed humble. Without letting Lucy out of his arms, Natsu scanned the mysterious male up and down, eyes squinted and stance tense.

"Hmm… so you're the one stealing Luce…" There was a slight growl in his voice but Lucy squeezed his arm, settling him down.

"Um…" His hazel-brown eyes glanced to Lucy, who was merely giggling. "I guess so?"

"Onyx, right?"

"Yes, that's me. You must be the 'pink-haired Natsu'. I've heard a lot about you and it's so nice to finally meet her best friend." Onyx gave him a hand to shake but Natsu had other plans.

"Pink-haired? PINK-HAIRED?! Oh ho, ho… you made a big mistake there, boy." The male moved in front of Lucy while cracking his knuckles and neck.

"… b-boy?"

Natsu had begun taking off his scarf when Lucy stopped him. "Natsu! Calm down. I was the one that told him you had pink hair. I didn't tell him you'd get offended. Play nice."

"Yeah, yeah. I was just testing him." The male rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding their eyes. "You look alright… and you don't smell like a threat." In a flash, Natsu was up close to Onyx, their noses practically touching. The poor boy didn't even have time to react. "Just don't hurt her, otherwise, I'll do more than hurt you…"

Onyx backed away, his knees wobbling and his voice trembling. Even so, he put on a brave face. "I solemnly swear that she's in good hands."

"Hmph. Fine." Natsu turned to look at Lucy. "Have fun on your little date then, Luce." Leaning in to the blonde, she shivered as he breathed on her neck. "Don't have too much fun though…"

"HEY!" The female threw a feeble punch at him with random kicks flying around. Natsu had already begun to walk away. "YOU COME BACK HERE, YOU!"

Onyx chuckled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling with his head thrown back. "Wow, you guys **are** really close. It's nice seeing this side of you: care-free and fierce. I hope I'll be able to make you just as happy." He shot her a charismatic grin as he reached to hold her hand.

Blushing profusely, Lucy held onto his hand as well. "H-huh? He doesn't make me happy! He's annoying. Let's get going before I run after him and kick him into the canals."

As the last bit of sun peeked through the trees, creating a silhouette, the couple walked together, hand in hand.

~ Later That Night ~

 _Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Ring-_

Natsu groggily sat up in his bed, his cat purring softly next to him. Rubbing his eyes, he placed the phone to his ear.

"Hm?"

" _NATSU!"_

His cat fell off the bed. Quickly checking if his ears were bleeding, the male swung his legs over the mattress, scratching his head.

"Yes, Luce? What's the matter?" Standing up, Natsu felt his heart rate fasten. "Did something happen? Where are you?"

" _Natsu, no, nothing bad has happened."_

"Oh… That's good then." Sitting back down onto his bed, the male picked his Happy up from the ground. "Why are you calling me? It's a little late."

" _Well… it's about Onyx."_ He could hear the nervousness in her voice. _"He… he asked me to be his girlfriend."_

"What?!" Natsu stood up again, accidentally dropping Happy. For a moment, he thought he felt regret, grief and loss. The tug in his stomach returned but he still didn't push it away. "I'm… I'm happy for you, Lucy."

" _Thanks, Natsu... but you called me 'Lucy'. Your voice is so serious. Is everything alright?"_

Natsu sighed. "Yeah, everything is just peachy. And I was wondering when that idiot would ask you out. 'bout time really, you guys are perfect for each other."

" _I hope we are. Anyways, thanks for listening. I just thought you should be the first to know. Thanks for being here for me, Natsu. It means a lot to me."_

"Well, **you** mean a lot to me. Enough of this though. Why are you calling so late? You usually like your beauty sleep." Natsu lowered his voice. "Is Onyx over there? Are you guys - oh my… Luce, I never knew you'd be that fast to… uh… 'have fun'." Natsu blushed as an image popped into his head. Hitting himself across the face, he regained focus.

" _Natsu! No! He just dropped me off at my house now. We went on a little date, that's all. Anyway, I'm tired so I'm going to bed. I have no clue how I'm going to sleep tonight."_

"Want me to come over? I'll let you cuddle so you can sleep faster." Natsu went across the room to grab his shoes but was halted.

" _No, it's ok Natsu. Thanks for offering."_

"But you never reject cuddling before sleep!" Dropping his shoes, Natsu knew what was coming.

" _I'm sorry. I'm not sure if you can sleep in my bed anymore. I've got a boyfriend and I don't think Onyx will appreciate another guy in bed with me. I hope you can understand but you can still come over anytime you want. I'm still going to be your best friend, Natsu."_ Lucy's voice cracked slightly and it turned into a whisper.

"I… I understand. Take care of yourself, Luce. I'll see you tomorrow at lunch." He bit his lip and scrunched his fists into a ball.

" _Natsu… are we not going to walk together tomorrow morning?"_

"No, not tomorrow. We'll still walk to work together, just… not tomorrow. I'm… I'm going to be busy. Anyways, it's getting late. Goodnight… Luce." Releasing his fingers from their tense position, Natsu leaned against the wall, sliding down it.

" _Goodnight Natsu."_ Lucy sniffled and then hung up.

Natsu listened to the dial tone echoing in his ears. The tears threatened to fall but he held it in, making him feel worse. With the phone still to his ears, the dial tone now gone, he whispered, "I… I think I'm falling for you… Luce…"

* * *

 **Oh my lordy lord. Natsu finally admits to himself that he might like his best friend. However, said best friend is too damn dense to see anything. This is when things get interesting. Lucy has someone else. Hm.**

 **Next time, on Unlikely Match:**

 **As he closed the door behind him, Lucy mumbled, "I'm sorry too."**

 **It gets dramatic in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yo! This chapter, is extremely dramatic so just a fair warning about that. There will be tears, there will be screaming, there will be begging. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

~ A Year Later ~

"Natsu! Get back here you idiot!" Lucy screeched through the aisle of the supermarket while throwing the whole 16 pack of toilet paper.

"It's not my fault you're too slow! I'm not going to slow down **just** to get my ass whooped!"

"Oh! So you're admitting that I **would** whoop your ass!" The blonde continued running and noticed that Natsu had stopped a few metres in front of her. By then, it was too late to slow down. "Ow, Natsu! Why would you just stop like that?!"

"Hey Onyx! What's up?" Natsu slapped his back, greeting him warmly.

"Onyx! What are you doing here?" Lucy appeared behind Natsu and hugged her boyfriend. He kissed her lightly on the top of her head.

"Hey sweetheart. I'm just grocery shopping. I was getting milk when I heard a loud ruckus. I kinda guessed it was you and Natsu." Holding her hand, Onyx chuckled lightheartedly.

"Well you guessed right. Lucy's a lunatic and was chasing me. What else was I supposed to do? Stand there?"

Lucy shrugged. "You could've stood there. Then we wouldn't have made such a mess." Looking up at Onyx, the blonde tilted her head to the side. "You ok, babe? You seem so quiet."

Leaning down, Onyx kissed Lucy passionately. Natsu felt the blood rush to his cheeks and quickly turned around like a child. "So scandalous…"

"Happy anniversary, my little rabbit."

"Onyx! We're in public!"

"That's not going to stop me!"

Lucy looked up at her boyfriend, putting a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you, Onyx."

"I love you too."

Looking back at the couple, Natsu smiled sweetly, his eyes glancing to the ground.

* * *

Later that evening, Natsu dropped Lucy at Onyx's house for a little date night. Grinning at her, he embraced her in a hug.

"Good luck, Luce."

"Thanks. I'm sure gonna need it." Rubbing her bare arms, her legs trembled.

"He'll love you no matter what, otherwise he's an idiot for giving someone like you up." Giving her another hug, Natsu let her go.

As Lucy reached the front door, playing with the hem of her light pink cocktail dress, she pushed it open. To her surprise, the door revealed candles surrounding the hallway in the dark house. The blonde followed the colourful candles around the place which lead to the dining room. Standing there, was Onyx, dressed in a smart black and white suit, red rose in his chest pocket.

"M'lady. Would you care for a glass of wine?"

Lucy giggled and nodded, tears already springing to her eyes. "Onyx… what **is** all of this? It's amazing."

"It's my gift for us. A couple who's survived a full year together, especially without checking our Matchers."

"Thank you, Onyx. For sticking by me and for being there and for being the most amazing, romantic and the best partner ever. I love you." Walking across the room, Lucy embraced him, inhaling his cologne and scent.

"I love you more." Stepping back, Onyx cleared his throat, obviously becoming slightly emotional. "Should we start making dinner?"

Grabbing hold of his hand, Lucy smiled. "Let's."

* * *

"Oh gosh, I'm too full for anything else." Onyx chuckled as he held onto Lucy's hand, caressing her palm.

"Me too. We are amazing cooks and make a great team! Maybe we could fit in some dessert?" Leaning across the table, the blonde passionately kissed Onyx, her grip on her dress tightening.

Leaning back, the dark-haired male exhaled. "You are just… incredible. I hope we celebrate many more anniversaries like this one."

"I do too. I think I see a future with you, Onyx." Blushing, Lucy realised what she was implying.

Grinning, he nodded in agreement, "as do I."

Lucy looked down at her lap, retracting her hand from Onyx's as she felt her heart leap out of her chest. Her hands started to tremble again but she breathed in deeply, clearing her mind.

"Is everything alright?"

"Onyx… I think we should try our Matchers."

"Huh? I thought we were passed that, that it wouldn't matter." Onyx furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you unsure about our relationship?"

"No! No… of course not. I love you so much, Onyx. It's just that I'm curious. If our Matchers do fit, then it's just a confirmation." Lucy felt her breathing hitch in her throat.

"What if it doesn't?"

"Then it shouldn't matter. Whether we're 'meant to be soulmates' or not, is up to us. We will still be able to make it work because we genuinely love each other, right?" Lucy's chocolate brown eyes burned with a fire that Onyx had only seen a few times.

Hesitantly, he agrees. Walking over and kneeling next to her chair, Onyx held the key hanging from his wrist out. Shaking, Lucy places the golden key into her locket. Waiting for any ounce of courage, Onyx held her hand and pushed the key further.

"No…" Onyx looked up at Lucy, both with tears in their eyes.

It was stuck.

"B-but why…?" Lucy brought her hands to her face, the tears streaming. "I knew it… I'm just cursed… the world won't let me have a soulmate…"

"Lucy…" Onyx removed the key and allowed it to hang, his heart falling to the pit of his stomach. Tears fell from his eyes and down his cheeks.

Onyx had always known that Lucy wasn't the one, hence why he was so hesitant. No matter what happened though, he thought that he would love her anyway. However, now that the truth had officially come to the surface, Onyx didn't know what to do. He loved her, yes, but could they make it work? Did he actually love her? Or was it just a façade to make them both feel better?

"Onyx…" Lucy's voice broke as she cried his name softly.

It broke his heart to hear and see her like this. "Lucy… I love you, you know that. But… I don't kno-"

"Stop… don't say it… please…"

Standing up, his legs nearly gave way under him, Onyx hugged her, kissing lightly on the top of her head.

"Lucy. I don't know if we can be together." Lucy's body began racking, her cries louder. "Yes, we can most certainly make it work... but..."

"But what…?"

"But our society is built on this type of culture and tradition. We would be shunned, people would gossip and say thing and think things. I don't know if either you or me could handle that." Running his hands through her hair, Onyx continued. "What if our soulmate does come along? What if you meet the one? Would you leave me? Maybe we aren't meant to be together for a reason. This magic is here for a reason…"

"It doesn't matter." Pushing back slightly, Lucy looks up at Onyx, her face tear stained and her eyes bloodshot. "It doesn't matter… I'll never find the one because they don't exist. We can make it work! I know I'm being selfish… I know I am… but shouldn't our passion be all we need? We're strong people, we can work through it. Who knows? Maybe the Matchers are wrong… who told us that they were one hundred percent right all the time?" By then, Lucy had already stopped crying. "My parents weren't soulmates but they fought through it."

"I… you're right. I'm just being a pessimist. I think we both can't think clearly right now. We should probably get some rest and some time to think. You and I, we may need to **really** think about if it's the right choice. I love you, but it's going to be tough."

As Lucy exhaled, her shoulders dropped. "I have thought about it, my whole life in fact. My mother didn't even marry her soulmate, she thought he was dead for her whole life. My parents weren't meant to be together but she still found love through other means. Maybe it was my destiny to have the same fate as her." The blonde placed the locket in between her thumb and forefinger, rubbing it, feeling the patterns carved on it.

"Lucy, I will try. I promise you, that I will try to make it work. We can make it work but if we can't, something must change. That doesn't mean giving up but we must adapt to what's to come."

"Please… we have to try…"

* * *

A couple of months pass and during that time, it became more and more difficult for the couple. Their mind-set had changed and their love for each other slowly but surely faded. Natsu stood by Lucy through it all, showing support and comfort when she needed it most. Gray did the best he could to cover Natsu's shifts while he was with Lucy but it was hard to just sit and watch.

The girls at the boutique tried to cheer her up and Lucy reacted, however, she was never back to her spritely self. Natsu thought it had dragged on for too long, that they should do something before the relationship becomes harmful. But Lucy was too stubborn to see and listen.

One night, everything was torn down.

"Onyx! What are you even on about?!" Lucy threw her hands to her sides.

"What do you mean?!"

"You're just getting mad at everything! I've been doing this since forever! You used to be fine with it... So? What's the problem here?"

"Us! We're the problem! It's not working." Onyx lowered his voice along with his head, "we're not working… things aren't the same as they **used** to be..."

"I… I know. It's just because we have in our heads that we aren't meant to be! If we change the way we think, our perspective, we could still do-"

"Lucy!"

The blonde jolted, the tears continuing to flow. "Onyx…?"

"Maybe **you** could still do it but **I** can't. I'm not strong like you. This relationship we have, it isn't right, it isn't healthy. If we continue, one or both of us could get hurt and I don't want to hurt you. Let's both do the right thing. You're strong, Lucy."

"No…"

Moving closer to her, Onyx brushed his hand against her cheek, wiping her tears. "I did **really** love you, Lucy. You were my everything."

"No… please don't do this… just give us more time, give me more time…" Her voice was barely audible as if she spoke any louder, she wouldn't have made it.

"Lucy… I thought that you should know something." Sitting down on the ground, Lucy followed suit as Onyx continued, "I've met my soulmate."

Looking up at him, Lucy could almost feel her heart stop. "H-how…?"

"I was out one day at a café during work, getting a few coffees for my co-workers, and this woman walked in. She looked younger than us but seemed mature. I felt something that drew me to her. I just couldn't control my own actions and it seemed that she had the same reaction. Even if we were strangers, there was something there. Regaining movement, I was reluctant, telling her I had a girlfriend that I loved." Glancing at Lucy, who was silently listening as she tried to muffle her cries, Onyx rubbed his arms.

"She was persistent. She said she knew I was the one and I had to admit that I felt it too. She apologised multiple times to you and said she had a boyfriend too but the pull we felt was too much. We convinced each other and we were passionate that it would work. Eventually, we tried our Matchers."

"And it did fit. Right?" At this point, Lucy was in a daze, her eyes and mind cloudy and her limbs numb.

"I… I'm going to leave." Onyx grabbed Lucy's shoulder, squeezing it once before standing up.

Walking around, Onyx picked up his things that were at her house, packing it into a backpack and a few other bags. After not too long, the dark-haired male made his way to the front door. Lucy stayed on the ground, her legs unable to support all the weight that laid upon her.

Before Onyx reached for the door, Lucy quietly whispers, her voice hoarse and tired, "please… please don't give up on me…"

Turning around, Onyx runs to embrace her as he cries. Lucy presses into his chest, holding him tighter. "I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…" Getting up, the male picked up his dropped bag and opened the door, the cold air rushing in.

As he closed the door behind him, Lucy mumbled, "I'm sorry too."

There was hesitation before Onyx fully shut it.

* * *

(Prologue has caught up with story-line)

The blonde female hadn't slept a wink last night. She hadn't even had a good sleep for months but the previous night had destroyed any hope for rest, along with her frail heart.

Looking down at the intricate piece of jewellery hanging from her neck that resembled a lock, Lucy ran her fingers across it. The blonde jumped out of bed and ran down her stairs, rummaging through every and any drawer she could lay her hands on. Fatigue took over as she tripped and ran into multiple pieces of furniture.

Finally, Lucy found the hardware she was looking for. Lifting the heavy hammer into her small hands, Lucy braced herself as she swung towards her chest, aiming for the locket. It struck both her ribs and the metal, sending her back a few steps. As if there was a delayed effect, the female suddenly felt a sharp pain at her side, then it coursed throughout her whole body. The necklace cracked slightly up the edge. Screaming in pain, Lucy collapsed onto the floor.

* * *

 **Alrighty! The story has finally caught up with the beginning of the story. Now that you know the context, things should be piecing together (not really but you can try). I know things were pretty fast paced with Onyx and Lucy but their history can be imagined throughout the year.**

 **Next time, on Unlikely Match:**

 **"You don't know what it's like... to be abandoned while you beg with everything you've got..."**

 **Oh man, stuff is going down next chapter. It gets pretty emotional, right in the heart.** **I hope you're on the edge of your seats!** **Till next time! (Remember, my updating schedule is every second day!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! Hope everyone's enjoying the story! If you don't, I have no idea why you've read this far. I mean, sure you can keep reading but it's better to stop if you don't like it. Because logic. Sorry, going off on a tangent. Thanks for all the support guys! This chapter is going to be pretty intense so I hope you're strapped in! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

"Luce! YO LUCE! ARE YOU EVEN AWAKE?! IT'S BLOODY MIDDAY AND ERZA TOLD ME TO COME GET YOU!" Natsu screamed from outside her house.

From an open window, Lucy's next door neighbour screeched, "shut your trap!"

"Sorry!"

Rubbing her eyes groggily, Lucy held her head as she winced. The world seemed to spin as she tried to sit up, her head on the cold, timber floor of her living room. Her legs seemed to be sucked into the ground like mud and her eyes showed four of everything.

"LUCE! I'm breakin' in!" The male stopped and then mumbled, "why am I even asking?" There was a slight scuffle to be heard before the slide of Lucy's upstairs bedroom window. "Luce? Where are ya?"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, the blonde managed to murmur something quiet before feeling the pain again. "Ughh…"

"Lucy…? Lucy!" Natsu jumped down the stairs, flying over them all in one leap as he grabbed the railing for support. Reaching the lounge room, he instantly saw Lucy sprawled on the ground. "Lucy! Oh my God…" Running to her side, Natsu kneeled down.

Before he grabbed hold of her, Lucy groaned. "Don't…"

"Huh? Lucy, I **have** to get you to the hospital. If I 'don't', then something not good is going to happen." Frantic, Natsu reached out for her again.

"Stop…" Without opening her eyes, Lucy continued as she winced, "injuries… unknown… not… move… ribs…" After all she could muster, her breathing shortened.

"Ok. I got it. Don't worry, Lucy. Just don't talk anymore and focus on staying awake. I'll call for help."

Fumbling for the phone in his pocket, Natsu dialed the emergency number. After telling the operator Lucy's condition, their address and any other known information, he quickly hung up and dialled another number.

" _Hello? This is Kinana speaking from Magnolia's Beauty Boutique, how may I help you?"_

"Kinana? Lucy's in trouble! She's lying on the floor, barely awake, so just tell Erza and the girls to grab Gray and get to Magnolia hospital." By this time, Natsu was out of breath.

" _Natsu? Ok I'll tell the girls. Make sure she stays conscious and we'll be at the hospital soon. Erza!-"_

Hanging up the phone, Natsu slumped down, leaning against the sofa. Then, something glinted in the sunlight that came in through the window, something that caught his eye. Crawling a few feet from where Lucy was, laid a hammer. Glancing at the blonde, Natsu felt his heart beat quicken.

"Lucy… what did you do?"

Remembering something, Natsu pulled out his phone and dialled the final number, after searching through his contact list.

" _Hello? Natsu?"_

"Onyx? Lucy's in terrible condition right now, something happened and we have to take her to the hospital."

" _What? Are you serious? Magnolia hospital, right? I'll be there as soon as I can!"_

"I'll let her know."

Laying his phone on the floor, Natsu took another look at Lucy, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Lucy murmured slightly as she tried to move, pain surging through her body.

"Lucy… don't move, it's going to be ok. The paramedics are coming soon, just-" Natsu glanced at his watch before continuing, "just 8 more minutes… Hey, you still awake?" Inching closer, the male could feel his hands trembling. "Luce…? Lucy!"

* * *

"Natsu… get up."

Groggily, the male sat up as he cracked his neck and back, his memory hazy. "What…?"

"I got you some coffee." Gray sat next to him, sighing. "I wonder how long it's gonna be."

"Dunno."

Sneaking a glance at his best friend, he could see the fear. "She's going to be ok. Don't worry."

"It's been 2 hours."

"That's not that long considering it's a hospital if you think about it."

"It's long enough to not know anything… and where the hell is Onyx?!" Natsu placed the full coffee cup on the chair next to him.

"Maybe he met the girls at Lucy's house." Questioning why the girls where gone, Gray continued, "they went back to Lucy's house to get her some clothes. Maybe Onyx went to her house first?"

"He said he'd be here soon though. Should I call hi-" The pink-haired male stopped in his tracks as a dark-haired figure walked into the waiting area. "Well speak of the devil and he shall appear."

"H-hi Natsu… thanks for calling me." Awkwardly, Onyx sat in the chair in front of the two boys. "Has there been any news?"

"No. No news."

"What happened? Was she in an accident?" Onyx searched their faces for answers but Gray looked at Natsu, who hung his head low.

"When I ran into the lounge room, she was on the floor. No clue how long she was there for. Later, I saw a hammer on the ground. I still have no idea what she used it for." Sighing, Natsu shrugged but Onyx had already put two and two together, covering his wrist with the jumper her was wearing.

"Did she say anything? Was her Matcher still there?"

"Of course her Matcher was still there, it's impossible to get it off unless you've found your soulmate. Everyone knows that." Gray shot a look at Onyx and realised why he had asked but before he had a chance to reveal that information, Natsu continued. "What took you so long to get here though? Yeah, Lucy probably appreciates that her own boyfriend is visiting but she won't appreciate the response time. She's petty like that." Natsu reached for his coffee and took a sip from it, savouring the taste.

Onyx looked dumbstruck. "Huh?"

"What? She is petty." He continued to drink from his cup.

"Natsu… I don't think-" Gray had started to speak but was interrupted.

"Natsu. I… I guess she didn't tell you but we're not together anymore." Natsu choked on the coffee as his eyes widened. "We ended it last night."

" **We** …?" His blood pressure began to rise as he stood up, realisation sinking in.

Gray grabbed onto his arm. "Natsu… don't. You don't know what happened. You don't know the full story."

" **We** ended it?" From all the anger that was rushing through his body, Natsu squeezed the coffee cup too hard, spilling its contents all over the white, clean, hospital floor.

"Natsu… look-"

"No. **You** look. I'm gonna take a wild guess and suggest that Lucy tried smashing her Matcher. A guess as to why, would be because of your stinking ass." As each second went by, Natsu stepped in closer.

"Natsu, it was for the best. It was an unhealthy relationship!" Onyx reasoned.

"I know it was but that's not why I'm angry. I'm angry because I'm gonna take another guess and say that you didn't break the news to her very well. Am I right?" Natsu was so close at this point that Onyx could feel his breath on his face.

"I-I-I admit that I didn't do it the best way I could… but it was hard on both of us… She wanted to stay together and… it wouldn't have been possible for us to be together anymore."

"ARE YOU SAYING IT'S IMPOSSIBLE?!" Natsu grabbed Onyx's collar and pulled him up, swinging him onto the floor, knocking the air out of his lungs. Holding onto his collar again, Natsu hovered above him. "How dare you… How dare… you…" His voice cracked and Onyx realised that Natsu was crying.

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to harm her in this way. I was just doing what was best for the both of us."

"But you knew she was fragile. You knew…"

"I **did** know but it would've been worse if I had left it." Onyx felt tears stream down his own face.

"I know it was better to break up with her but… you broke your promise. You said you would never hurt her… but you've done more than that. You've scarred her!" Natsu swung his arm back to punch him and Onyx braced for impact. It never came.

When Onyx opened his eyes, he looked into Natsu's and felt everything wash away. "I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry. I won't be able to apologise enough… I loved her, I really did. Please believe me…"

"I know you loved her… I know you didn't mean to hurt her… I'm just so angry that she would do something like this… but I'm angrier at myself for not seeing it coming… from firsthand experience too…" Natsu wiped his tears and snot with the back of his hand. "You don't know what it's like… to be abandoned while you beg with everything you've got…"

"Y-you have?" Sympathy struck Onyx as he saw the pain in Natsu.

Gray pulled Natsu off him, embracing him in a hug. "Natsu… stop, it's ok. Don't think about Lexi, think about Lucy. She's strong."

Sitting up, Onyx heard footsteps coming towards the waiting room. Natsu shrugged Gray off and neared the footsteps.

"Someone's coming… they better have news…"

* * *

"Mm…" Groaning, Lucy tried to open her eyes. Her throat felt dry as she tried to swallow her saliva and the sides of her head throbbed.

"Lucy!" Natsu stood up, grabbing Lucy's hand. "Don't strain yourself."

Gray fell off the couch chair he was on and scrambled up, screaming, "NURSE!"

"Lucy…" Onyx stumbled forward cautiously, confused on what he should do in this situation. He had been contemplating whether he should stay or leave for the last few hours. Glancing at Natsu, he sighed. "I'll go tell the others outside…" Onyx shuffled out, shutting the door behind him.

Before a nurse could come running, Natsu tried to get Lucy completely conscious. "Luce, can you hear my voice?"

"Mm…" Finally, the blonde managed to open her chocolate-coloured eyes. They were slightly blood-shot and were filled with guilt, grief and angst.

"Lucy… Jesus Christ… you had me so scared." Natsu flashed a smile as he rubbed circles on the back of Lucy's hand.

She simply smiled back.

"Sorry!" Suddenly, a nurse stumbled in, her clipboard and pen in odd places but her hair surprisingly neat. "I ran as fast as I could. I was tending to another patient and heard your call but he was half-naked as I was trying to wash him and the other nurses were god-knows-where. I'm terribly sorry." The brunette bowed deeply.

"No, no. It's ok, he needed some time with her anyway." Gray reassured the nurse as she smiled sheepishly.

From behind the pair, Natsu was still talking to Lucy.

"Uh, sir! She won't be able to talk much without feeling pain. Her throat must be dry and her chest will hurt to even breathe, so don't be too hard on her." The nurse walked outside for a bit before coming back with a white plastic cup filled with water. "Here, this should make you feel better."

Lucy nodded in thanks and took a small sip, wincing as it travelled down her oesophagus. Natsu watched her every move, helping her get comfortable and such.

"Na-Na-Nazu…" Lucy held her locket with one hand and pressed down her chest with the other.

"Don't speak Lucy. It's ok. You're going to be ok."

"Sowy…" Breathing in slowly, she frowned.

"Don't be sorry, Luce. We know what happened but you shouldn't worry about that anymore. Your soulmate is out there somewhere, looking for you too."

"Ok I'm going to do a quick check up on her to see if she's all healthy and then she can rest." The nurse walked over and checked her temperature, her pupil dilation, her memory, etc. "Alrighty then. Lucy, you seem to check out all ok. There shouldn't be anything that you should worry about but take care of yourself. Try not to move to fast and rest." The nurse bowed and left the room.

"Lucy…" Standing at the door, Onyx had his mouth slightly open, his eyes searching her face.

Frantically looking to Natsu, the blonde shook her head, hiding in his shoulder. Levy pushed passed him, running to her best friend's side.

"Lu… you had us so worried! We're all so glad you're ok…" Grabbing Lucy's other hand, she continued, "the other girls left a bit ago to go back to the shop and to cover Gray's shift as well. They all decided I should stay so here I am." The blonde nodded and smiled. Shifting closer, Levy whispered, "Onyx **is** standing there, you know? Maybe you should address him? Give him a nod like you understand he's there or tell him to go away?"

Lucy shook her head and Natsu sighed. "She **really** doesn't want him here but what can we do?"

Slowly, Onyx made his way to the side of her bed and leaned in slightly. "I'm so, so sorry… You mean so much to me so just… take care of yourself, little rabbit." With that, he left the room.

"Onyx…" Lucy tried sitting up but failed miserably, her hand going to her chest as she breathed heavily. "Come back…"

* * *

 **Jeez. Lucy is just really indecisive. Does she want him there, or does she want him gone? Like c'mon girl. But I get it. You need him there for the support but it hurts too much to see him. But mate, you've got Natsu, what else do you need?**

 **Next time:**

 **"Natsu... who is this?" Igneel's voice shook.**

 **"This is Lucy, dad. She's-"**

 **Well, next chapter, Natsu introduces Lucy to his father. But the question is, why?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Heyo! Now that all that stuff is over, it's just Natsu and Lucy. "Finally!" is what you all must be thinking. Well, this chapter, you're going to find out that their relationship is a lot more deep-rooted than just best friends who met at the Magnolia Mall. Anyways, this story is technically over its half-way point now so brace yourselves. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

"I'm really sorry about everything." Lucy sat on the chair next to the counter, swinging her legs as she twiddled her thumbs.

"Lucy, how many times do I have to tell you?" Looking back at Lucy, Natsu placed a figurine box back on the shelf, nearly dropping it a couple of times.

"I know, I know… 'Lucy, stop apologising! What's done, is done and your soulmate shouldn't matter, if you're happy, that's it'. Yeah, wise old Natsu to the rescue." The blonde giggled.

"It's true though. No more apologising. It was no hassle and you weren't in the hospital for very long." Gray smiled, patting her on the shoulder.

"Yeah but I still feel horrible for worrying all of you over such a stupid thing. I was so dumb and just heartbroken that I should've realised the consequences before I did it… I was just so hung up over the idea of a soulmate… gosh."

"Well, Luce, how 'bout some story time?" Natsu sat on the counter after glancing at the common area to check the customers.

Gray's eyes widened as he realised what was about to come out of his friend's mouth. "Natsu…" he warned.

Chuckling, the male shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Ice Balls. It was a long time ago."

"What…?" Lucy looked in between the males to find an answer.

"Well, Luce. I was just like you. In high school, I was in the exact same position as you were in."

"No way…"

"I had this best friend. Her name was Lexi. We were always together and we grew up together. She moved in next door when I was just a kid. I instantly knew that there was something more to us. One day, when we were walking to school, it probably was junior high, she protected me and got hit by a car." Lucy gasped, her hands to her mouth. "I don't know why, but Lex just pushed me out of the way. She was in a wheelchair for so long. But, through it all, I stuck by her as she was being bullied. That's when I met Gray. He helped us through it all as well. Then, in 9th or 10th grade, I got the guts to ask her out. She, of course, said yes. During that time, I started asking questions about my mother and I was really harsh to my dad... I didn't realise what I was doing but I now know that I hurt him, in so many different ways. Even so, Lex helped me through it."

Glancing at Natsu, Gray continued, "but… at the beginning of senior year, Lexi and Natsu decided to try their Matchers. They weren't soulmates. It started getting rocky from there."

"Then, finally, at the end of the school year, she just ended it all. I begged her, on my hands and knees, not to leave me. That was the most vulnerable I had ever been."

"Natsu…" Lucy felt the tears rush to her eyes as she saw it in his.

"It was so hard, seeing her walk away from everything we had. I understood why but that didn't make it any better. She didn't even want to be friends. All she said, was sorry."

"Just like Onyx…"

"After that, I ran away from home. Worst decision of my life. I left my dad but he still welcomed me back."

Running to him, Lucy squeezed him into a hug. "You're not alone... that's not going to happen anymore." Was all she could muster in between the sobbing.

* * *

A few hours later, Lucy came back to the store to visit Natsu, to see how he was doing.

"Hey, Luce! Wanna hear another story?"

Gray sighed, "here we go…"

"Of course! Always up for a story!" Sitting on the counter and crossing her legs, Lucy leaned on her hand, looking up at Natsu.

"It's not much of a story, just like a 'hey! You can relate to this, Luce!' kind of thing. You know?"

"Just get on with it, numnut."

Natsu looked up at the ceiling lights, sitting on the counter next to her, swinging his legs. "Well, my parents weren't soulmates but they loved each other heaps anyway."

"Really? That's the same with my parents!"

The boys looked at each other, confused. "Um, then why were you so hung up on the idea of a soulmate?" Gray inquired.

"My mother always loved thinking about the future, my future and an alternate future. She would tell me all the time how she couldn't wait for the day that I found my soulmate, the smile and look on her face is one I could never forget. I don't remember much but that expression, is unforgettable. She couldn't wait to meet the person that would make me happy, whether it be a boy or girl or anyone. She wanted to feel happiness for me because she didn't find her soulmate before marrying my father. Yes, she was happy with him but she always wondered what her life could've been like if she had met them. Like if one day she had decided to change schools or take a left turn on a walk or do something out of the ordinary, then she could've met them." Lucy sighed, reminiscing about the past, a bitter sweet smile on her face.

"Oh… wow, Luce. I never knew."

"We never thought that soulmates for you were so deep rooted."

"Yeah… I just wanted to do something to honour my mother. My father used to tell me that when they found her body after she passed away, her bracelet was gone." Lucy shrugged.

Gray looked over at Natsu, his eyes wide. "Are you saying that as she was passing, she encountered her soulmate…?"

"Yeah, that was the theory. Why do you ask?"

"My father… he used to tell me the story of when he met his soulmate and she died in his arms…" Natsu jumped off the counter.

"What? No… that can't be right. It's just a coincidence, isn't it?" Lucy shook her head, sceptical.

"Maybe but… destiny?" Gray reasoned.

"I **have** to go see your father. We never knew what happened and I need to know. If he was my mother's soulmate… if he did watch her die… I just need to see him."

"We can go to him tonight after work but don't have your hopes up too high, just in case."

"Of course. What about you, Gray?" Lucy asked, her head tilted to the side.

"Can't. I gotta run errands with Lyon tonight and I think this is something for you two to do alone."

The pair nodded and Lucy went on her way to the boutique, her body filled with anticipation and uneasiness.

* * *

"C'mon Natsu. Walk faster!" Lucy insisted.

"Luce, calm down. Even if we do get to his house now, we would have to wait anyway."

"But why?"

"I called my dad before and told him that I'm bringing a visitor and told him to have over his old co-worker. They both were there that night but his friend is usually a little late." Natsu chuckled as he remembered past encounters.

"It doesn't matter." Lucy broke into a run as the male groaned, reluctantly following after her.

As the pair arrived at the house, Lucy marvelled at its cuteness with the red paved roof and red painted door. Skipping up to the entrance, the blonde lightly knocked on it while tapping her foot impatiently. In no amount of time at all, the door opens, revealing a tall and buff male with tan skin and muted dark red hair. His eyes were dark but kind and greeted Natsu warmly.

Suddenly, his eyes rest on Lucy and a wave passed through his body. Tears sprung into his eyes and his hands trembled.

"Natsu… who is this…?" Igneel's voice shook.

"This is Lucy, dad. She's-"

"Her daughter…"

"Um, no. I was going to say that she's my best friend but-" Natsu was once more, cut off.

"Welcome, dear. Come inside." Igneel ushered them into the cosy home and led them to the dining room. They all file into seats around the table, another man already there sipping on coffee.

"Natsu! I haven't seen you in so long! You've gotten so big!" The male patted his back, while scratching his dusty, orange hair.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Gildarts… you saw me last week. Get over yourself."

"You used to love seeing me! Where's all that excitement gone?"

"Gildarts…? Aren't you Cana's father?" Lucy asked.

"Oh! I didn't even see you there. And yes, young lady. I am her father. I'm surprised she doesn't talk about me to you while I'm here bragging to all **my** friends…" The older male sobbed as Lucy frantically tried to comfort him.

"Gildarts. Get serious. Do you not recognise her?" Igneel took a seat next to his friend, his voice low and monotonous. The mood of the room drops.

The male scans Lucy before his eyes widened. "It can't be… right?"

"It is so. Dear, would you please tell us why you have come?" Igneel's face softens.

"Um…" Lucy looks over at Natsu and then continued, "well… today at work, Natsu and I were talking and we found out that both our parents never married their soulmates. As we continued, my mother's story matched with your story and we wanted to find out if we were talking about the same event or not."

"Well dear, I'll tell you now that we **are** talking about the same incident. As soon as I laid my eyes on you… it's hard to explain. You're the spitting image of your mother and there's no denying that. I'll never forget her."

Lucy took in a shaky breath.

"Before we hear about me, am I able to learn more about your mother?"

The blonde nodded. "My mother, Layla, was put into an arranged marriage with my father, Jude. Their parents didn't believe in following the path of destiny so they forced it upon their kin." Lucy already felt the tears coming to her eyes but she pushed it away. "Eventually, my mother fell in love with Jude, even after knowing they weren't soulmates. The love they had for each other was real but of course, my mother always had that empty feeling where only her soulmate could fill. After not too long, they had me. When I was still very young, maybe 6 or 7, my mother collapsed."

"Oh…" Was all both Igneel and Gildarts could breathe out.

"She was diagnosed with a terminal illness. She could still walk around but she was weak. So weak." Natsu put his arm around her shoulder, comforting her as she sniffled. "I remember walking into the hospital room one night and she was crying. Later, I asked her what her one wish would be and she said for me to be happy. I knew she was lying and called her on it. No matter how young I was, I could tell. She laughed and said that her one wish was to meet her soulmate. She then brushed it off and said it was stupid and selfish. To this day, I'm honestly surprised that her wish wasn't to live longer."

"What a strong woman." Gildarts smiled as Igneel kept his head low.

"One night a few months later, my father and I got a call that my mother had run away from the hospital, that the nurses found her bed and room empty. No one knew where she had gone. Next thing we know, a call for paramedics was made for a woman that matched her description. My dad left me at the hospital with the nurses and went to the Matchers' facility, where they found her." Lucy concluded her recount, goose bumps covering her arms.

"Thank you for telling us this. I'm sorry I made you relive that again."

"No, you have every right to know."

"Dad, Gildarts, do you want to tell her your side of things?"

Igneel nodded as Gildarts gritted his teeth. "Well… This happened right after Natsu's 7th birthday and was hitting 100 days after my wife passed away. Natsu never really saw his mother as she was always working… Anyways, one night we got a call. Your mother, Layla, broke into the Matchers' facility, as you know. As soon as she entered the premises, she set off multiple alarms. Gildarts and I, as part of the police, were sent to investigate. I remember that night like it was yesterday…"

"Yeah, me too. In the car, we were both joking about where we were headed. We thought it was something so small, probably a bunch of kids throwing stuff at the windows or something. There was nothing to steal as the Matchers are secured in a vault, so what else could be robbed?" Gildarts explained.

"When we got there though, we knew it was more than a few teenagers' shenanigans…"

Gildarts continued, "some of the filing cabinets had dents on them but weren't open as they had locks. Some of the computers on the desks were turned on with incorrect passwords inputted too. It got pretty serious at that point. Igneel even called in for a report and requested backup just in case."

"We turned a corner and we see this blonde woman on the floor. All these things go through our head and I just run to her to check if she's responsive." The red-haired man sighed.

Looking at Lucy, Natsu remembered when he found her on the floor just over a week ago. A shiver runs down his back, thanking the world that she was still here.

"I called paramedics while Igneel tried to get her to respond. He was trying to check for any other noticeable injuries."

"But she looked fine. There were no signs of bad health except the tag on her arm and the hospital clothes she was wearing. I didn't know what was wrong with her but before I knew it, her big, brown eyes opened and looked up at me. There was so much hope and warmth but she was so weak and frail. I could **feel** her slipping away from my arms. I felt a spark inside of me, nothing like I had ever felt before and I wanted to protect her. At first, I thought it was just my duty as an officer but then she spoke. 'I feel warm' she says. I… I didn't know what to do." Igneel looked away quickly to sniffle.

Lucy felt the tears stream down her cheeks but she made no effort to stop them. "I'm so sorry…"

"Your mother… she didn't even say a word but she grabbed the key hanging from my neck and used it on her bracelet with a lock on it. I will never forget the sound the metal made as it hit the tiled floor. The night was silent and it just echoed." Gildarts rubbed his friends back as he tried to suppress the tears that were threatening to fall. "At that moment in time, I felt like I could finally breathe for the first time in my life. I didn't realise it but I was crying. She felt so cold but the fire in her eyes burned with passion. But-" the words got caught in his throat.

"Igneel… take it easy, buddy." Gildarts gulped down the lump in his throat as he stayed strong.

"But-" Igneel's bottom lip quivered as he tried his best to continue. "But… I felt her cold fingers reach for my hand… to feel the band on my ring finger and… she whimpered. I didn't know what to do. I didn't intend to hurt her… I never meant to leave her… so, I said the dumbest thing: 'I have a son'. She just looked up at me, smiled and said 'and I have a daughter'. I apologised to her so many times that I lost count and all she could mumble was 'I'm glad you didn't wait for us to meet'. It honestly broke my heart into more pieces. I told her to stop saying those things and then I heard a small whisper. 'But I'm glad we did get to meet'." Igneel choked as he reached the next part of his recount. "Then, the warm feeling in my heart disappeared and so did she. She went completely limp in my arms…" The male's shoulders shook as he sobbed into his arms.

"The paramedics came soon after and we had to leave."

"Igneel… I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Lucy wiped her tears and tried to ease her breathing.

"No, there's nothing for you to apologise for. As your mother said, I'm just glad we met. Even if the circumstances weren't great, I'm so happy I met her. And I'm so happy to have met you, Lucy. You remind me so much of her and it brings me much joy that you and Natsu are so close." Igneel held her hands into his, wearing a familiar grin.

"Gildarts, Igneel, Natsu, thank you." Lucy looked out the window to the blue sky as birds glided through the wind.

* * *

 **Wow. Who would've guessed that Igneel and Layla were soulmates? Some things just aren't meant to be because if they met before they got married to someone else, then Natsu and Lucy would've never existed. Some deep stuff right here. Now, Lucy knows what her mother's final moments were like. That was tough but it gives a nice insight on their history.**

 **Next time:**

 **"Onyx... Where's your Matcher?" To his own shock, Natsu's voice trembled.**

 **Oh crap! Natsu's going to be seeing Onyx for the first time since the break up and he notices something odd...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi! Welcome back to the story! So many people have read this fanfic and I'm so surprised and thankful. Well, this chapter is gonna get a little emotional (just a little) but will end on a cliffhanger you've all been waiting for. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy Tail!**

* * *

 _Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Ring-_

Rubbing her eyes, Lucy searched around the bed for her phone. Finding it among her blankets, the blonde looked at the caller ID and was hesitant to pick it up.

"Hello?"

" _Hey, Lucy."_

The familiar deep voice made her shiver. "W-why did you call?"

" _I just wanted to see if you were ok. After I saw you at the hospital, we haven't contacted each other. I was just worried and wanted to make sure you've had a speedy recovery."_

"Thanks, Onyx. That's really sweet of you. I'm honestly fine though and I think a few weeks to get better is more than enough time for something so small."

" _Haha… yeah, I guess. So, um, I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me today? Just to catch up? You know, we can still be friends."_

Lucy scrambled around her mind to try to find a better excuse but failed miserably. "I have work today, so probably not."

" _You don't have time for lunch? I could pick you up from the mall if you wanted?"_

"Onyx… I-I can't. Sorry… um, Natsu and I are doing something today so, sorry."

" _Oh. Well, take care of yourself. Bye."_

"Bye…"

Hanging up the phone, Lucy felt like chucking it across the room. It made her so frustrated, everything made her frustrated. Just as she was about to jump off her bed, her window flew open, blowing her curtains all over the place.

"Hey Luce!" The pink-haired male leaped in, landing on the bed on his back.

"Natsu! What are you doing here?"

"Picking you up, of course!" He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"At **this** ungodly hour?!"

"It's 7. You have to get there early today, remember?"

"Ughh crap… I forgot. Erza asked me to do the stock count this morning before opening hours. How did you even remember?" Lucy had already begun going through her closet, throwing clothes here and there with a toothbrush in her mouth.

"Of course I'd remember! What are you trynna' say?"

"Well, you're not usually the one to remember anything! Let alone something so random as this!" The blonde ran into the bathroom to rinse her mouth and face, moisturise and then change her clothes.

"I'm just worried…" Natsu puffed up his cheeks and swung his legs over the side of the bed, avoiding eye contact.

Lucy peeped out of the bathroom, eyes wide. "What? Aww… Natsu! That's so sweet!"

"Shut up, alright!? If I remember your schedule and I'm always with you, then maybe you won't get hurt again… at least that's what Igneel told me."

"Thank you, Natsu. That means a lot to me." The blonde creeped up behind him and hugged his back, snuggling into the nook of his neck. "I'm glad that I'm able to spend **all** my time with my best friend again."

"Luce… were you on the phone with Onyx before?" The male shrugged off Lucy and spun around to face her.

"Uh… yeah, I was."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing much. He was just checking up on me, seeing how I was doing and if I've recovered." Lucy smiled to reassure the suspicious Natsu.

"Was that **all** he said?"

"Y-yes…"

"Ok... Ready for work? Let's go!"

* * *

Leaning back on the chair, Lucy bent her spine and stretched her arms above her head, making a baby dinosaur-like noise.

"Lucy! It's time for your break. Go take a rest." Erza sincerely commanded.

"Alright, thanks." Grabbing her bag from the back, the blonde went on her way to the comic book store.

"Luce! Over here!" Meeting half-way, the pair continued to walk towards the food court. "Where do you wanna eat today?"

"Hmm… how about, not the food court? Let's go somewhere out, I'll pay!"

"Sounds like a plan."

The two took approximately 5 minutes to make it out of one of the mall's many exits and then another 10 minutes to walk around one side of Magnolia to find a cute café to eat at. Once they were seated, Lucy decided to tell Natsu what was on her mind, of course, after he ordered half the menu.

"Natsu… I want to tell you something that I've been thinking for a bit now."

"What's up?" The male chugged the soda in one go and then immediately ordered another one.

"Well… it's nothing big but I wanted to let you know that I've decided to take a break on dating and trying to find my soulmate for now." Lucy quickly added, "but that doesn't mean I've given up! I'm going to try my best to have hope that they're still out there so that when I do meet them, I can look them in the eyes proudly. I just don't think I'm mentally ready to love someone else right now… I shouldn't have to look this hard, yes, I need to put the effort in but I think for now, I'll take a back seat."

"Wow, Luce. You thought hard about it."

Proudly, she responded, "yes. Yes, I did."

"Well, I think it's stupid." Natsu shrugged and took a small sip from his drink.

"Huh?! How is it stupid?"

"I dunno. It's just stupid."

"Natsu, your reasoning is stupid! You can't just call **my** logic stupid and then not back it up!" Lucy was about to slam her hands on the table when she noticed his dazed look. "Natsu! Are you even listening?!"

With his mouth slightly hanging open, Natsu slowly averted his gaze back to the blonde. "U-u-uh… yeah. Yeah! Sorry, Luce. I shouldn't have called it stupid. You're doing something great."

"Natsu… what are you looking-" The female was midway into turning her body when Natsu held her shoulders in place.

"Lucy! Hi! Um… yes. Stay here and wait for the food. I'll be back."

"Where are you going? You're acting weird, Natsu. Usually I'm the weird one and I never admit that, but today… something's off." Lucy grabbed his wrist as he stood up from his seat.

Strangely, Natsu's voice cracked, only raising the blonde's suspicious further. "Toilet!"

Running to the other side of the establishment to hide himself from Lucy, Natsu searched for his target. His eyes darted from left to right, right to left but there was no sign of who he was looking for. Then, he felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck and turned to look behind him. There was nothing there. Peeping around the corner, Natsu had locked on to his goal, now completely unaware of his surroundings and people.

"Oi you little shit!" Natsu exclaimed as he pushed passed people both standing and sitting.

"Huh…? OH CRAP!" The figure scrambled out of his seat and started darting towards the door, the person on the other side of the table clearly alarmed.

"HEY! SOMEONE STOP HIM!" The bystanders simply sat there in shock, their eyes wide and their jaws slack.

"Don't!"

Once the target was in range, Natsu pounced at him, tackling him into the ground, surprisingly missing the tables and chairs. The pink-haired male pinned him down, raised his fist and gained as much momentum as he could. The figure covered his face with his hands while onlookers pointed and gasped. Before Natsu could do anything, his arm went slack and slumped to his side as he tilted his head.

"Onyx… Where's your Matcher?" To his own shock, Natsu's voice trembled.

"I-I-I-"

"I saw you at the hospital and I could've sworn you were wearing it…"

"I-I didn't have it at the h-hospital either. Natsu… I-I'm sorry for everything that I did and if punching me makes you feel better, be my guest. I still want to be friends with Lucy, I never wanted to hurt her." Onyx shakily let out a breath.

"Y-you broke up with… with Lucy because-"

"Stop!" A female's voice halted Natsu in place. "Please don't hurt him! Whatever you have against him, I'm sure you can figure it out without fighting."

Natsu spun his head around and saw a tall, beautiful woman with dark hair that had a tint of purple if she moved a certain way. Her eyes were bright and full of hope, it was hypnotising.

"Natsu…?" An all too familiar voice, that was music to his ears, echoed from behind him. "What are you doing?"

Stumbling off Onyx, the male stood up and sheepishly looked around. "Luce! I can explain! But what are you doing here? What if our food comes-"

"Onyx…?"

"H-hi Lucy… Natsu was just headed to the bathroom and we ran into each other by accident! What a coincidence!" The dark-haired male nudged Natsu jokingly. He did not take it as a joke.

"No, we didn't! I tried to beat him up!" The pink-haired male shoved Onyx a little too hard. "Don't even try to lie!"

Loudly, Onyx whispered, "dude! I was trying to cover up **your** mistake!"

"Nats-"

"Excuse me. We're going to have to ask you to leave this establishment. You've disturbed the customers and have made quite the ruckus. If you refuse to leave, we'll have no choice but to call the police." The waitress politely motioned them to the door.

Onyx and the woman bowed deeply and headed for the door.

"HEY! STOP WHERE YOU'RE GOIN-"

"C'mon." Lucy grabbed Natsu by the forearm and dragged him out the door while apologising profusely to the customers and staff.

Once outside, Natsu sat himself right on the pavement where people were walking. He puffed up his cheeks and looked at the ground, playing with a withered leaf.

"Natsu. Get up."

"No."

"Natsu!"

"I didn't even get to eat!" He whined.

"Well, whose fault is that?" Lucy grabbed onto Natsu's ear and twisted it.

Natsu slapped the ground screaming, "mercy!" until she let go.

The female next to Onyx giggled, hiding behind his shoulder. The purple in her dark hair glinted in the sunlight, capturing Lucy's interest.

"Hi! I'm Lucy!" She smiled sweetly and stuck out a hand for her to shake.

"Oh!" She looked at Onyx hesitantly, in which he shrugged and nodded, and then gratefully took Lucy's hand. "Hello! I'm Willa. It's really nice to finally meet, Onyx has told me heaps about you."

"Has he now?" Slightly scoffing, but still smiling, Lucy kept her eyes on Willa, completely ignoring Onyx. Her logic was that if she saw him, she might end up bawling.

"Yeah! I really wanted to get to know you, to see how amazing of a person you really were!" She seemed so genuine and innocent that Lucy had no way of hating her, or Onyx for that matter.

"Wow… that's a lot of praise. I hope you're not disappointed by what you see. Anyways, it was nice talking to you but I have to get this big baby back to work."

"Really? Where do you work? Onyx had told me it was at the Magnolia Mall but he didn't want to tell me where in case I came to visit one day…"

"Willa…" Onyx tugged at the hem of her shirt but she ignored him.

Lucy nervously laughed. "Well, I work at the boutique there."

"If that's the case, then maybe I **will** come to visit. You're a great person and I'd love to be friends! I'm actually new in Magnolia and Onyx is always working so maybe we could hang out some time?"

"Yeah. That sounds like a plan. Onyx has my number so you can get it from him." Lucy gritted her teeth as she could feel the tears threatening to fall. She hasn't exactly had the most perfect few weeks.

From the ground, Natsu noticed his best friend gripping the side of her skirt till her knuckles turned white. Her arms and knees were trembling and without even looking, he knew that she was biting her lip so hard that blood was bound to come seeping through soon.

Getting up, Natsu shook his head as he mumbled, "you're a fricken idiot, you weirdo…"

Sighing, the male stood next to Lucy and released her hand from her skirt, wrapping his fingers into hers. He squeezed her hand and smiled as she looked up at him.

"It's going to be ok, Luce. I've got you."

As soon as those words slipped out of his mouth, the blonde's legs collapsed from under her. Natsu held onto her arm and waist, supporting Lucy.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… careful there, Lucy. Are you alright?" Onyx stepped closer and offered a hand.

"She's fine, don't worry about her. She's been working her butt off at work so this idiot is just a little tired." Natsu lied.

"Oh, well as long as it's nothing too serious. Like I always say, just take care of yourself."

"Y-yeah… you too."

"It was good seeing you again and all that stuff but we gotta get back to work. Um… see you later?" The pink-haired male tugged at Lucy, motioning with his head to the road but she was too numb to move.

Willa bowed. "It was really nice meeting you two. I hope we will see each other soon."

"Same!" Natsu quickly waved, pulled Lucy up and ran, slightly dragging her behind him.

As they were running, he could feel Lucy picking up speed, the strength in her legs returning. Natsu didn't even have to turn around to know what was happening. She was crying.

* * *

Swinging his legs back and forth, Natsu whistled some random tune while Lucy rearranged the counters, fixed the tester products and refolded the clothes. Ever since the lunch break, Lucy's eyes had been blank and she hadn't said a word. Not wanting to leave her alone, just in case, Natsu sat there for god knows how long. Of course, he was going to have his ear screamed off when he went back to work but that didn't matter. He was curious and worried.

"Lucy…?"

"Yes? What do you want? You know I'm working, right?" Lucy rested her hand on her hip, raising an eyebrow.

Scratching his head sheepishly, he shrugged, a lopsided smile plastered on his face. "Well… I was just wondering about something… but you know, if you're busy, that-that-that's cool too! I'll leave you alone."

"Just stop… you're obviously staying, Natsu. Ask whatever you want…"

"If you really want to know… well, why didn't you tell me **why** Onyx broke up with you?" Natsu stopped swinging his legs.

"I… I was scared."

"Scared? Scared of what? That I would judge you?"

"Of course not! I was just scared of the truth. That's all. And plus, we didn't break up only because he had found his soulmate. We just kept fighting and there were things that just didn't work out anymore... Him finding his soulmate was just the last straw. Any more questions?" Lucy seemed as though she was still conscious but her eyes were robotic.

"Well… it didn't look like you took seeing Onyx and his girlfriend very well." He avoided looking at her, just in case she burned a hole through him.

"You didn't take seeing Onyx very well either."

"But Luce… you were shaking."

The blonde scoffed. "Yeah… I was. I knew he'd found his soulmate but I didn't realise I'd be seeing him so soon. We only broke up a few weeks ago, I was hoping to avoid him for at least another month."

"Oh… so you were just shocked?" Natsu nodded as he tried to understand.

"You could say that. I don't know what I was expecting when I did get to see him. Anything else?"

"Do you still love him?" The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He had no idea why he asked that, he wasn't that curious and he knew it would hurt Lucy to answer but it just came out. Natsu slapped his mouth shut, his eyes wide. "I'm sorry, Luce! You don't have to answer-"

"Y-yeah… I think I do. I don't know, Natsu. I just really thought we could make it work but it dragged on for too long. **I** held on for too long. I love him, Natsu… I did but now, I'm not sure. Would you still love someone in these circumstances?Did you still love Lexi?"

"I-I think it depends on the person I'm in love with and the time I spent with them and the time apart we've had since the breakup. L-like if I was in love with you-" Lucy looked at him expectantly. "I-I-I mean, with Lexi, I tried to focus on something else, distract myself from the pain while I faced the problem head on, to find my soulmate."

"Wow… you actually give some good advice from time to time."

"Hey! I've got an idea! Why don't we start your journey to find your soulmate right now?" Natsu jumped off the counter and leaned against it.

"Sure! Let's start! But how?"

"How about with me?" Once again, Natsu let the words fall out of his mouth.

"HUH?"

"W-well, it's just a joke! I was just suggesting that we could test our Matchers but you know, that's cool!"

"I've actually wondered that for a while, if we were soulmates or not. And this is just for shits and giggles anyway, right?" Lucy paced over to the male, shrugging.

"S-s-sure! Shits and giggles… only for shits and giggles…" He felt both his heart beat and breathing quicken as she neared him. "Are we really doing this?"

The blonde giggled, "why not?" She came close to Natsu, her eyes piercing through his. "You ready?"

* * *

 **Well, well, well... What are they going to do? Are they really going to go through with it? Finally, Lucy and Natsu are going to put their Matchers to the test.**

 **Next time:**

 **Lucy's eyes went wide. "Natsu? Is that-"**

 **"Lexi..."**

 **Oh no! First Lucy sees Onyx again and it didn't end too bad. But, now Natsu meets the one person who gives him nightmares.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone! So the long-awaited time has finally come for Natsu and Lucy to try their Matchers. Fingers-cross, eh? But! That's not all, this chappie is when Lexi comes back to Magnolia and sees Natsu. The question is, how is it all going to go down? Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

"Whoa, Luce! Aren't we taking this a little too fast?!" Natsu stepped back, forgetting that the counter was behind him. "L-L-Lucy…?"

"Hey, you bought it up and I'm just following through. I'm distracting myself while facing the problem head on, just like you said." The blonde reached for the necklace around his neck, her cold fingers sending shivers throughout his body.

"Is this happening, like now?"

"Yeah, of course. It can't just be coincidence that you have a key and I have a lock. Like at least I know Gray isn't my soulmate, he's got a lock as well. But you, that's another story. You ready?"

"No! Not really!" He exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

Lucy smiled, reassuring and calming his heart, "it's gonna be fine. Just for fun, remember?"

The blonde positioned the key and the world seemed to slow down for the pair. Sliding the Matchers into each other, the hairs on the back of their neck stood up. In their hearts, there was a slight pain, like someone was pinching it. The hairs on their arms tingled, like static coursing through their bodies. Both their eyes were wide as they realised what this meant.

Holding onto his Matcher, Natsu nodded and turned the key. As fast as the spark had come, it disappeared. The prick in their heart dissipated and the tingle gone. There was no click, no turn, nothing. The key was stuck in place.

"What…? I thought…" Was all Lucy could choke out.

"That feeling that went through me… I…" Natsu released his Matcher, letting it hang from his chest. Looking away, Natsu chewed on the inside of his cheek and allowed his shoulders to slump.

Lucy sighed and smiled sweetly. "I knew it… I… I gotta get back to work and you should too, before boss murders you. Thanks for keeping me company." Behind her back, the blonde scrunched her skirt in her fist, her nails digging into her palms.

"Yeah… no problem. Just, cheer up." Natsu shuffled out of the store, his head hung low.

Once Lucy confirmed that he was far enough, she slumped against the wall. "Why do I feel disappointed? What did you expect, Lucy?" Looking at the clock, she realised that peak hour was about to begin. The voices of her co-workers echoed in the distance so Lucy picked herself up and went back to work.

* * *

After work, Lucy stood in front of Natsu's store as she tried to balance 2 drinks in one hand and her bag in the other. As if on cue, Natsu crashed out of the store, screaming profanities at Gray. Dusting himself off, he glanced at the blonde.

"You ready to head home?" For some reason, Lucy could feel the blood rush to her cheeks as he smiled at her.

"Are you… are you blushing?"

"What? No! I mean, yeah, I am but no!" She fumbled.

Natsu chuckled as he grabbed a drink from her hand, which she nearly dropped. "You're such a weirdo…" The male seemed to ponder for a bit before making up his mind. Taking Lucy's bag from her hand, he began to walk away, a rosy colour dusting his cheeks.

"Natsu… you don't have to carry my bag. I'm completely capable-"

"I know you're capable but you've had a long day... Anyways, you wanna hang at my house? Happy really misses you."

Lucy skipped up next to him, a big smile across her face. "Well I miss him too **and** I'm sleeping over tonight, cool?"

"When do you ever ask?" Chuckled Natsu. "Hey, I just thought of something. Since Levy has a key and Gray has a lock, what if your soulmate isn't a boy?"

"Yeah, I've thought about that. But all of the people that have been interested in me have been males with a key. Levy and Juvia are the only girls I've met with a key. Maybe I'm meant to be a lesbian, or at least bi-sexual."

"It shouldn't matter. If you're happy, that's what matters." As Natsu looked down at his best friend, he saw something had changed in her eyes.

* * *

As the weeks passed since that fateful day, Natsu and Lucy have had several incidences to suggest that there was more than what meets the eye. The pair even knew that the dynamic between them had changed but both brushed it off and continued to appreciate each other as friends. However, fate had other plans for the best friends. Much to their confusion, there was an indescribable passion that grew within them.

After work one day, the pair walked out of the mall to find a surprise. The sky was still light out and Natsu gave Lucy his scarf to warm her up as it was starting to get colder. Gray decided to tag along as he was staying over at Natsu's place that night.

"You're such an idiot! You're practically naked! Where's your jacket?" Natsu pointed out.

"Like you can talk! And plus, Gray is literally naked." It no longer phased the blonde that he had a stripping habit. Yes it was weird, but it can't be helped.

"But Ice Balls doesn't get cold. You do." The pink-haired male wrapped his arms around her while blushing.

Gray stopped walking, his clothes now on but his face serious. "Natsu…"

"Yeah?" The male followed his line of sight and saw in the distance, a figure that had just gotten out of a taxi. "I know that person…"

"Lucy, get Natsu back into the mall. Now!" Gray stood in front of them as the blonde dragged him away but, it was already too late. The person jogged towards them.

"Gray! Look at you! You've barely changed, still got saggy eyes! And Natsu! Is that you…?" The feminine voice halted him in his tracks.

"No… way…" Slowly turning around, he felt his knees tremble.

She simply smiled at him. "Hey…"

Lucy's eyes went wide. "Natsu? Is that-"

"Lexi…" Gray breathed.

"I'm glad you remember! It's been a while."

"What are you doing here? I thought you moved." Natsu gritted his teeth as he pushed Lucy behind him. She had never heard such a tone from him before.

"I did move but I came back to visit childhood. I didn't know I was going to run into you guys. I see you have a new friend, wanna introduce me?" Lexi moved about to get a glimpse of Lucy but Gray stood defensively in front.

"What's the occasion? There's something more to your story, isn't there?" Gray asked.

"Well… I'm getting married." Lexi smiled but her eyes were sad.

Lucy looked up at Natsu's face and saw the emotions painted upon it. "Natsu…"

"I'm really happy for, Lexi. It's cool you found your soulmate."

"Natsu? You barely ever called me Lexi. I'm not here to remind you of the past, it was just a coincidence-"

"We're not friends anymore, remember? Why would I still call you an affectionate nickname? I was willing to forgive you but you didn't even want any contact with me." Natsu's hands were trembling as Lucy tried to reach for it.

"It was better for the both of us. I was moving away for college and even being friends at that point wouldn't have lasted."

"You didn't even try though. If you meant a lot to Natsu, he would've made the effort." Realising that she had spoken up, Lucy covered her mouth.

Lexi scoffed. "Oh, so you can speak. Well, Natsu and I had history together and-"

"and you ruined it." The blonde stood in front of Natsu, rage now filling her body. "You abandoned him!"

"Luce… stop…"

"What do **you** know? You weren't there!"

The blonde tugged on the scarf around her neck. "I didn't need to be there! Natsu spoke fondly of you, that you were always loyally by his side when he needed you the most. But now seeing you, you're nothing like I had imagined. When people are around Natsu, he makes them be their better self. And you left that. I understand your reasoning, trust me, I do, but you could've worked it out better. Even now, after all this, Natsu is still happy that you've found happiness. Yet, you can't even be happy that he has new friends. I have no right to talk as it is not my business but on behalf of my best friend, you shouldn't say those things." Lucy stood her ground firmly while Natsu and Gray had their jaws wide open.

"You're right. You have no right to talk." Lexi rolled her eyes, sneering at the other female.

"Lexi… I'm warning you, just leave. You've told us about your grand life so there's no point in being here anymore." Gray glared.

The brunette sighed, ignoring Gray. "And blondie, you have another valid point. I **should** be happy for Natsu." She glanced at his neck before continuing, "but I see you still have your Matcher… That must be tough, especially on your father-"

"I may still have my Matcher, but I assure you, that I am happier than you will ever be. How dare you bring my dad into this. I never thought you'd stoop so low, Lexi." Natsu sighed under his breath and looked down at Lucy. "Let's go home, Luce. You too, Gray." The male pushed passed the stunned Lexi, who turned around to scream profanities and come-backs at them.

"Aren't you going to do anything?" Lucy whispered.

"No, why would I? She's not worth it. I've moved on. I mean, she insulted you, Luce! If anything, I was hoping you'd beat her up!" Natsu laughed. "I'm just really glad you guys had my back."

"I'll always have your back, Natsu."

"That Lexi… she's changed so much that she's barely even the same person. What happened to her?" Gray shook his head.

"Greed for happiness and satisfaction but she's envious that you've reached it all with less effort than her." Lucy smiled as she readjusted the scarf. "She's a jerk. I'm glad she wasn't your soulmate."

Gray and Natsu laughed as they continued their way home.

* * *

 **Wow. There's a lot of things happening here. Lucy and Natsu aren't soulmates, crap. That must've hit really hard for the both of them. Not only that, but a few weeks later, Lexi comes back and she's horrible. Natsu stood his ground even though he's weak about his past. Not to worry, because Lucy will always be by his side.**

 **Next time:**

 **He leaned in close. "So, what's the deal? You thinking about marrying her? That's why you're being so urgent?"**

 **WAIT! Who's marrying who?! Get ready for the next chapter guys! We're going to get some insight from Natsu and Lucy.**


	9. Chapter 9

**So, what does Lucy and Natsu think about each other? Are they really soulmates? Why are their feelings growing? Brace yourselves because the finale of this story is incoming. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

"Levy!" Lucy whined as she stacked the shelves.

"I know, I know… I've been thinking about it too, just trying figure the whole thing out logically… ARGH!" The petite girl messed up her hair in frustration.

"It's easier for you though, you've found your soulmate." The blonde seated herself in a client chair.

"But finding him was the problem. Who would've known that me, a small, smart and beautiful girl, would end up with a thick-headed, big and dumb thing like him?"

"Gajeel loves you though, it's super cute." Stars sparkled in Lucy's eyes as she imagined a life like that.

"Well, Natsu loves you!" Giggling, Levy stuck out her tongue.

"You don't know that for sure! And we're not even soulmates so that makes things a little more complicated…"

"But do you love him…?"

"Levy! That's what I've been trying to figure out! I feel like I do but then I feel like I shouldn't because we aren't meant to be… but then again, both our parents never married their soulmates… Ugh! I haven't talked about boys like this since forever." Lucy scratched her head, sighing.

"You guys make a good couple nonetheless. The thing that's bothering me, is why you felt a spark when you tried to fit your Matchers. If you really aren't soulmates, then there shouldn't be anything at all." The small female pouted and furrowed her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I know. Like when I tried it with every other person, there was nothing. It was just anti-climactic. But with Natsu, we both felt something reach into us."

" **And** ever since that day, it hasn't been the same. You've started to have feelings for him and he's been weird around you…"

"Don't rub it in!" Lucy squirmed in her seat as she racked her brain for answers.

"Hmm… Why don't we go to the library at lunch? We could research the history about Matchers and maybe it'll tell us what you felt. I assure you, I felt the exact same thing you were talking about."

"That sounds like a good idea. Which library-" Lucy stopped herself as a customer came in. Jumping off the chair, she approached them. "Hi, is there anything you need help with?"

* * *

"Hey, ice princess!" Natsu screamed from one side of the store as he tried to escape from his doom.

"What?!"

"Help me!"

"I'm in the same boat as you!" Gray squealed.

"What boat?! There's no boat!"

"It's a saying, fire shit!"

"Well, I'm saying that I need help!" Natsu's bottom lip quivered as he looked down at his leg where a little girl hung.

"Mister, what's a fire shi-" the little girl was cut off from her question as someone scooped her up.

"Natsu… what did I tell you about cursing in front of them? It's your job to make sure they are taken care of!" The azure-haired male shook his head.

Gray shuffled in with 2 kids on each arm and 2 kids on each leg. "Jellal! This isn't some day-care we're runnin' here!"

"For once I agree with him! Why do we even have a kid play area?!"

"Well, for one reason, children are more attracted to comic books and figurines and the exact products we sell at the store. So, we need somewhere so that they will stay longer and the parents can buy them more stuff, thus, earning us more money. And secondly, we had extra space. The common area is a vital part to our store that many of our customers love." Jellal explained before picking up another child to bring back to the bean bags.

"We asked you a question but I didn't expect an English essay."

"Oh! Natsu, you cool to stay here and take care of the fort during lunch break? You'll get your lunch later." Jellal asked, plopping down the children and smiling at their parents who were browsing the shelves.

"M-me? But I have plans for lunch… with Lucy…"

"Oh… I thought you guys were a little… uh, off these days." Jellal scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I-it's been normal, hasn't it?"

"Haven't you been walking to and from work like usual? I think, there's nothing wrong but everyone's been saying some things need to change." Gray yawned.

"What do you mean, 'everyone'?! People have been talking about us?"

"Well, yeah. The whole crew has been making bets about if you guys are gonna go out and when. The price is pretty high." Gray and Jellal chuckled as Natsu's face turned pale.

"Does Lucy know about it?"

"I'm not sure but probably. She's a smart girl."

Natsu sighed as he leaned against the shelves and rubbed his face. "What am I gonna do…?"

"Well, you guys checked your Matchers, right?" Jellal inquired as he sat himself down on the ground.

"Yeah… but our Matchers freaked out! Our bodies were all… weird! Like sparky, sparky!" Natsu motioned his hands like fireworks.

"Maybe you are soulmates but you did something wrong…" Gray furrowed his brows and hummed deeply.

"I thought that too because with Erza, I felt the same 'sparky, sparky' that Natsu was speaking about and we were soulmates." Jellal rubbed his chin and shrugged.

"Well, what did you guys do with those girls?" Natsu raised his eyebrow, asking a genuine question.

The blue-haired male swung his leg across the floor and tripped the pink-haired male. His arm and head thumped hard onto the ground and he rolled around groaning.

"Do **not** be a pervert, Natsu! How dare you ask such a vulgar question?! We did not do anything of that type!" The male covered his face, along with his red tattoo, in shame.

Gray just stood there laughing, holding his stomach as he hunched over.

"I'm not! I was just asking a real question! Like, what did you guys do, that I didn't?"

"Hmm… the only thing I can think of, that applies to both Gray and I, is that were dating already when we tried out Matchers. Maybe that's it? That's the missing link?"

"Dude, isn't there some Matchers' manual you can look at?"

"Who knows?" Natsu sat up from the ground, rubbing his arm and head.

"If there was, wouldn't our parents tell us how to find our soulmates? Like when we were younger." Gray deduced. "There probably isn't a set way to find your soulmate because it's meant to be fate anyway."

"That's true. It would be too much pressure for people who don't want to find their soulmate and stuff like that."

"Guys? This still doesn't help me."

"But dude, why the heck are you askin' us? Go ask your old man."

"That's actually not a bad idea…"

* * *

That afternoon, like every other, Lucy waited outside to pick him up.

"You ready to head home?" Lucy smiled as she reached to help hold Natsu's things.

"Well, how about visiting my old man this afternoon? I need to talk to him and you can hang out with Wendy. It won't be for long?"

"Yeah! Of course! I love visiting your dad, he's hilarious."

With simply that, the pair were on their way to the red house, neither telling each other what had happened that day or what was to come with their relationship. It was just good ol' banter. Once they reached the house, Igneel opened the door in a robe, with only boxers underneath.

"OH MY- SHIT!" The dark red-haired man ran back into the house, screaming profanities and just… screaming. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOUR GIRLFRIEND WAS COMING?!"

"Dad…" Natsu sobbed as he walked into the house, smiling an apology to Lucy who giggled.

"It's fine Mr Dragneel! We're just here for a quick visit so there's no need to do anything rash!"

"Dear, dear, dear! Call me Igneel. Now, what calls for such an occasion that you've come?"

"Um… I'm not sure." Lucy glanced at Natsu before continuing, "he wanted to talk to you about something."

"Dad, where's Wendy? I thought she's staying since Auntie is on holidays?"

"Wendy's out with friends but her cat is still here. Why?"

"Uh… sorry, Luce. I need to talk to my dad about something private. Maybe you could-"

"No, no! It's completely fine." The blonde dusted her skirt and smiled. "So, where's this cat you speak of?"

Once Lucy was far enough that she couldn't hear, Igneel led his son to the kitchen and pulled out two chairs.

He leaned in close. "So, what's the deal? You thinking about marrying her? That's why you're being so urgent?"

"Dad! What?! No!"

"Lower your voice, son. She could still hear us."

Natsu sighed as he shook his head. Whispering, the male tried explaining, "dad… that's not why I'm here."

The older male stood up, throwing his hands in the air. "Oh my! I completely forgot! I'll be right back."

Igneel ran out of the kitchen and up his stairs. Not too long later, the male came stomping and jumping down the steps, a velvet blue box in his hands. Jogging over to the kitchen, he carefully set it on the table before sitting down.

"What… is this?"

"This, my boy, is something that I've been looking for around the house since Lucy first came to visit. I found it last night and…" Igneel sighed and shook his head, "and I was in tears." The male pushed it closer to Natsu.

He reached for it, his hands shaking. As soon as his fingertips contacted the box, his breath seemed to push out of him. Instantly, Natsu jolted back, his eyes wide.

"What is it?"

"It's Layla's Matcher." Tears were already in his eyes as he looked at it dearly. "I had completely forgot that I had kept it."

Gingerly, Natsu scooped it up into his palms and his heart began to calm. Exhaling deeply, he felt all his worries disappear. "Why are you showing me this? Shouldn't you let Lucy have it?"

"Well… based on my observations, I think you and Lucy are soulmates. I pondered over that fact for weeks and concluded that Layla and I couldn't be together **because** you and Lucy are meant to be."

"That's why I'm here, dad. We tried our Matchers and we aren't soulmates. Gray and Jellal suggested that I should ask you if I'm doing anything wrong."

"Just… give her this and tell her how you feel. Then, try it again. Trust me, you are soulmates. There is an intangible bond that holds you two together but it's not very strong unless you do something about it." Igneel ruffled his son's hair, grinning. "I did a good job raising you, just look at how you've turned out!"

"More like I've done a good job growing up! You've got nothin' to do with it!" Then, as quickly as the banter started, it ended. Looking seriously into his father's eyes, Natsu became serious. "Dad… I'm so, so sorry for everything I did when I was younger. I was so stupid and I know that it hurt you. Thank you for still believing and not giving up on me."

"Hey now, no need to get sappy. I won't abandon you."

Natsu slipped the deep blue box into his pocket and started farewelling his father.

"Luce! Luce?!"

"Coming!" Not too long after, the blonde came bounding down the steps, holding a white cat in her arms. "Isn't she the cutest?"

"I thought you were a dog person…"

"That's not the point! I can still call other animals cute!" Lucy tickled under the cat's chin as it purred.

"It's not **that** cute… Happy's cuter." Natsu pouted as his father nodded in agreement. "Anyways, we should get going, Luce. The sun's going down and we gotta get you home."

"Yeah, yeah Mr Responsible." Lucy plopped the cat onto the couch and farewelled Igneel before leaving. Once they were outside and on their merry way, the blonde asked, "did you talk to your dad about what you needed to?"

"I guess so… but he's not much help."

"Well, if you ask me, maybe I'll know the answer."

"U-u-uh, no, no I think I should be ok. I don't need the answer straight away." Natsu stuttered as he reached into his pocket.

"Alright then, if you insist." Lucy puffed out her cheeks, pouting. Then, an idea popped into her head. "If you won't tell me, then can you give me a clue about what it's about?"

Blushing, the male whispered, "soulmates…"

* * *

 **What will Lucy think about Natsu's conversation? What's he going to do with Layla's Matcher?**

 **Next time:**

 **"Luce, for a while now, I've been in lo-"**

 **OH MY! This is obviously Natsu speaking but is he finally going to confess his feelings? What led up to this moment?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Welcome to the second last chapter! What a ride we've been on, eh? Thanks for those who stuck around for this long, I really mean it. Anyways, I'll save the sappy stuff for the last chapter. Things are starting to get juicy! I'm sorry this chapter is so short compared to the others but I had to leave it on a cliffhanger once more, just to keep you on your toes. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

Blushing, the male whispered, "soulmates…"

"O-o-oh!" The blonde tripped slightly, her cheeks also flushing red. "W-well then…"

"Y-yeah… I was just curious…"

Straightening herself back out, Lucy cleared her head. "What do you wanna know?"

"Huh?"

"About soulmates? I was in the library with Levy today researching about soul-" choking, Lucy realised what she had said. "I-I mean! I wasn't researching anything! I was just in the library hanging out… But!I might know some things about soulmates that you could be looking for?"

"So, **that's** where you were at lunch! I had to take the lunch time shift today because I didn't 'have a good enough excuse not to'. Thanks for the betrayal." Natsu strutted off, his hips swaying sassily and his head held high.

"I'm sorry! I completely forgot! My mind's been in the clouds lately and the library usually clears my head!"

"How could you forget? We have lunch together every day!" The male pouted as Lucy held onto his arm to stop him from walking any further or faster.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Natsu. I should've told you that I was going to library so you could come with me."

His face turned pale. "C-c-come with you? To the li-library?"

"Of course! You always want to hang out so you would **have** to come with me, right?"

In a high-pitched voice while looking off into the distance, Natsu squeezed out a measly, "right…"

Lucy laughed as she swatted his arm lightly. "I'm only kidding! You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to!" She continued to laugh as he stared at her, his face relaxing. "What?"

"Luce… you seem… happy."

"Of course I'm happy. Is that a bad thing?"

"No. It's nice to see you enjoying life without a care in the world. I like it, it's been a while." Natsu grinned, the corners of his eyes wrinkling.

Lucy blushed and swatted him again and even threatened a kick this time too, just for good measure. "Well… I still have worries! It's not like I'm completely happy! You're just being weird about it…"

"Hey! You're the weirdo here! Don't just blame the weirdness on me!" Natsu threw his arms up in the air.

Then, Lucy also threw her arms up in the air. "Nice, Natsu! We were having a moment before you ruined it! It was touching!"

"I didn't touch anything!"

"I never **said** you touched anything!"

"But you said 'it was touching'!"

"That means something else!" The blonde face-palmed but started to giggle from behind her hand.

"LUCY?! Are you calling **me** are pervert?! I didn't touch anything!"

"Stop! Stop! My stomach!" Lucy hunched over, her shoulders shaking as she tried to contain her laughter.

"What the fu-" Then, suddenly, Natsu joined in to the contagious illness and started laughing too.

Onlookers gave them weird side-glances but it didn't seem to matter. All that was important to them was each other. The sun had already set and the darkness was creeping in, shadows overcast on the figures.

"Well, we've been here long enough. Head home?" Lucy got rid of her last giggles before dragging Natsu down the footpath.

"Yeah."

"You staying at my place tonight?"

"Probably. Sound like a plan?"

* * *

When they arrived at Natsu's house, Lucy had a shower while he found food that they could eat. He phoned up a pizza place and ordered half the menu. After he realised the price it was going to be, Natsu finished up the order and ran to Lucy's bedroom, waiting for her to finish her shower so he could get a turn too. He begun undressing, leaving his clothes all over her floor as he wrapped a towel around his waist. Going through her drawers, Natsu found his spare clothes and stood in front of the bathroom, tapping his foot impatiently.

Lucy came out not too long later and was told that food was going to arrive soon. As if on cue, someone rang the doorbell and the blonde ran down the steps, nearly tripping. After setting down the food on the table, and getting furious at the price she had to pay, Lucy went upstairs to tell Natsu to hurry up. Upon arriving, she noticed his clothes scattered on her floor, further upsetting her.

She started picking up his sweater, then his shirt, then his scarf, etc. while mumbling profanities under her breath. "Natsu… I swear to you, one of these days I'm going to-" The blonde stopped herself after picking up his pants. "It's… heavy… maybe he left his phone in there."

Throwing the other clothing items into the laundry basket, Lucy emptied out the contents from the pockets. A wallet and phone plopped out, just like she had thought but what followed peaked her curiosity. It was a dark blue velvet box, not too small, but smaller than her palm. Ideas rushed through Lucy's head about their conversation on soulmates and her heart began to sink as she realised Natsu might have already found his.

Crouching down to pick it up, a shock pulsated through Lucy's body, making her fall back onto her bottom.

"What the…?"

The blonde cautiously crawled to it and poked the mysterious object. But, nothing happened. Now comfortably seated on the ground, Lucy scooped it up in her hands and flipped the lid open. Inside, a silver bracelet with a lock, glinted in the light.

"A boiling hot shower! Now **that's** what I needed-" Natsu, who was drying his hair with a towel stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Lucy on the ground, holding the one object he was trying to hide from her. "Lucy… what're you-"

"Natsu…" looking up from the ground with tears in her eyes, Lucy's lip quivered as she tried to speak. "Whose Matcher is this? Be honest…"

Walking over and kneeling next to her, Natsu shook his head. "N-no ones, Luce. You don't have to worry about it." He didn't know why, but he felt obligated to lie to her, to protect her from the truth.

"I don't have very many memories of my mother, but what I do remember, is her Matcher. What I don't understand though, is why and how you have- Igneel… Igneel gave it to you, didn't he?"

The face of betrayal that Lucy bore sliced through Natsu as he tried to explain himself. "Lucy, I… yeah…" it was hard enough hurting her, so he decided not to say much to make sure he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

"Why didn't you tell me he gave you this? Was it really such a secret?"

"Lucy… I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I was going to give it to you at the right time. You've been through a lot lately so I thought I'd wait. It wouldn't mean anything if I just handed it to you."

"Natsu, you purposefully hid this from me. I know it was only for a few hours but I believe that I have a right to know." Lucy ran her finger over the surface, making her feel sorrow and nostalgia. "I thought... I thought you had found your soulmate, and you were going to marry them! There were so many things going through my head... This didn't have to be a secret, Natsu."

"I asked my dad why it had to be a secret too. The thing is…" sighing, Natsu rubbed the back of his head, trying to find the words. "The thing is, dad thinks we're soulmates. He's set on the idea. I told him it's not possible but he said that your mother and him couldn't be together because **we** were meant to be together, or something like that. He's certain. That's why I went to visit him. I didn't plan to get your mother's Matcher, I just needed to know what we did wrong. I just… I don't know what he wants me to do…" Breathing in deeply, Natsu looked deeply into her chocolate brown eyes. "Luce, for a while now, I've been in lo-"

* * *

 **Heh... I'm sorry for the cliffhanger guys. It was going to happen and you knew it. You should've seen it coming. How will Lucy respond? They aren't soulmates but their feelings remain? What if they did do something wrong the day they tried their Matchers?**

 **Next time, for the final chapter:**

 **"Cupid's magic? Love?"**

 **What are they talking about? For the last chapter, we get some insight on the history of Matchers and Lucy and Natsu will embrace the bond between them.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone! So, as most of you know, this is the final chapter of the fanfic. It's been quite a journey with all of you and thank you for putting up with my typos, weirdness and over-dramatic-ness. It's quite ridiculous really. I won't get too sappy but I just want to thank you for reading even if you did or did not like the story.**

 **Like most of my other fanfics, I like to do shoutouts to those who have reviewed, favourited or followed this story. A massive thank you to you all with much appreciation!**

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 **I'm sorry if I've misspelled your name or left you out or you've commented as a guest. Also, thank you for the people reading after this has been posted as it still means a lot to me. A big thanks to everyone who's read it, whether or not you've reviewed or followed or favourited, is amazing.**

 **This chapter is pretty fluffy but it will explain the history of the Matchers and how it all came to be. So just a little random thing in the middle then back to NaLu. Anyways, for the last time in this story... Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I obviously don't own Fairy Tail so the characters are not mine.**

* * *

"Luce, for a while now, I've been in lo-"

"Natsu! Stop… wait… I think we both think this confession is long overdue… and I have feelings for you." Lucy's cheeks were brushed with a rosy pink as she avoided eye contact.

"Ok, really, Luce? Really? I was going to say it first but you just had to-" He was cut off as Lucy held his hand in hers.

"Natsu… I feel warm but there's a stinging feeling, right here." Lucy placed her other hand over her heart.

"I do too…"

"Do you want to try our Matchers again? Give it another go?"

"Yeah and I think this time, it's going to work. What say you?" Natsu held Lucy's locket in his hand and smiled down at it.

Following suit, the blonde held his key between her fingers. "It better work. I've been looking for this key for far too long… it's given me so much strife but it's been right here all along."

The two stare into each other's eyes, pulling one another in. For an unknown reason, they can't stop.

"It sorta feels like when we first met…"

"Y-yeah… like you're staring into my soul…"

Both Natsu and Lucy took a deep breath, snapping out of it. They then decided it was now or never. As soon as the key was fitted in, they felt all the sensations they had the first time, except they were magnified. Natsu nodded, giving the signal for Lucy to turn the key. Everything else was blocked out except for them. The sound of the click sent shivers to the pair as it echoed in their ears. Then, as quick as it all happened, the feelings rushed out and the necklaces fell from their bodies.

"Natsu… I can't believe... it…" The tears streamed down the blonde's face as she fell onto Natsu. "It finally happened… and I can't be happier that it's with you…" she sobbed.

Holding her, Natsu smiled. "I'm so glad…"

After a few minutes of sobbing, Lucy gradually stopped and raised her head, her cheeks tear stained and her eyes puffy.

"I'm such an ugly crier…"

Natsu contemplated for a second before agreeing, "yeah… you are."

Lucy giggled before her face changed and her eyebrows furrowed. "Wait a second… I know why it didn't work the first time! I can't believe I was so stupid! I saw it in the book but I just… I couldn't make the link!"

"What? What are you talking about?"

~ Flashback to Earlier that Day ~

"Lu… I don't think we're going to find a credible source to look at. There's no facts! There's only children's books, folklore and tales. I don't think we're going to find anything. How about the internet?"

"It's the same thing, Levy. All random stuff that isn't what I'm looking for. Everything just says that the Matcher signifies your soulmate, but it doesn't tell me the history or how it works or anything! Argh! How annoying!"

Slumping into a chair next to Lucy, the petite girl ran a hand though her hair while jittering her leg. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a librarian jogging towards them.

Levy nudged her friend and pointed, "hey, Lu, take a look…"

In his hand, was a key and he had a big smile. Finally reaching them, the librarian, Colin, held out his hand with the key on his palm.

"What do you want us to do with it?"

"Well… I sneaked into the boss' office and stole the key for you guys." For some reason, Colin kept his smile, his hazel eyes seeming to sparkle.

"What?!"

"Shh… keep your voices down. You guys are amazing in what you do to help out the library and you're always here so I've got to do something to pay you back."

"But why did you have to steal it? You could've **asked** your boss for it!" Levy reasoned.

"He would **never** let anyone use this key. I know you're looking for stuff about soulmates and the Matchers." Lucy's ears perked up at those key words. "This key will unlock the underground area where all the nation's secrets are kept, along with vital information that no-one else knows."

"Isn't this illegal? Couldn't we go to jail for life?"

"Yeah, I would too. As long as you don't tell **anyone** of what you saw or read or heard about, then we should be ok. Deal? Are we even?" Colin hung the key from its string and gave it to the girls.

"We're more than even… we owe you so much." Lucy bowed deeply while Colin tried to get her to stand straight.

"Yeah, yeah. I can see you're desperate. The thing is, there's only a few locations that have a hidden underground place stocked with Government secrets in Fiore. I'm not even sure if what you're looking for is in Magnolia, but it's worth a go. You just have to promise me that you won't look at anything other than Matcher information and you won't take anything." Colin gave his hand to the girls, his pinky finger in the air.

"We pinky promise." Lucy giggled as she intertwined fingers. "But, where do we even look for that information?"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out but please hurry before my boss comes back. He's going to notice it's gone. There shouldn't be anyone down there but be careful anyway."

The girls nodded and ran as fast as they could, while receiving dirty looks from other librarians, to the location Colin spoke about. As soon as they reached the door, Levy was on the lookout and Lucy unlocked the door. Quickly and quietly, they slid in. It was pitch black and any sudden movement echoed through the aisles. Levy pulled out her phone and flashed her light around, examining everything.

"Wow… this is amazing. The smell is intoxicating."

"Look at this stuff… some of these things have to be centuries years old. There's parchment paper! Careful not to directly shine the light onto it!" Lucy warned.

Glancing at the shelving, the smaller girl nodded in satisfaction. "Lucky us. It's in alphabetical and numerical order."

"Now the problem: is what are we looking for? It could be under anything! We have to hurry!"

Levy started running and Lucy followed behind. "Look in 'M' for Matcher and 'S' for soulmate, it's gotta be in one of those two."

"Ok! I'll take 'S' and you take 'M'!" Levy turned into her aisle as Lucy kept running towards the back of the area.

As soon as she got there, Lucy scanned every file, book and parchment she could, as fast as she could. But nothing was about soulmates. There were things about safety and security, separation of powers, SJW, societal contracts, social justice and engineering, supplementary law but there was nothing on soulmates that Lucy could see. Running back to the 'M' aisle, the blonde tried to go through any terms that it could be under.

"Would it be under citizens? Wellbeing? No, no, no…" She was so distracted that Lucy had already run to the 'H' aisle and had to back track. "Levy! Have you found anything?"

"No… not really. There's no section for Matchers. There's a lot on medical, monopoly, morality but nothing that relates. How about you?"

"Nothing. I went through it pretty fast so I could've missed something though. I'll help you look through here, it's most likely under 'M'." Lucy went on her hands and knees and started searching for any indication it would be there.

"Wait! Wait! I've got something!" Levy's eyes widened as she ran her fingers over the spine of the book.

"What is it?" Lucy jogged over to stand next to her friend.

"It doesn't directly link to Matchers but there could be a correlation…" Pulling it out, she read, "Myths of Magic…"

They both gasped as they sat on the floor, flicking through the old pages.

"This is amazing…" Levy ran her finger down the contents page, trying to find what they were looking for. "Here! Matchers! Also known as Cupid's Magic… page 222." The small girl estimated the page from the side and somehow, landed exactly where they were looking for. "How…?"

"Let's just hurry, Levy." Lucy's eyes scanned the page for key words. "Here! This is the history of Matchers… the 11th Queen, Queen Geovanna, was afraid of her fate. She was to be married to her cousin, as an arrangement from her parents. A divine being visited her in a dream, and granted her one wish. The being told her he was cupid and would endow upon her magic. Queen Geovanna pleaded to the divine being to allow her to wed someone whom she would love, her soulmate. Cupid bestowed onto her a grand magic spell, a piece of jewellery, that would bring soulmates together. She was the first, the founder of this magic and Matchers. From there, the Queen created many more Matchers, and the processes have been changed, modernised and passed down from the Queen's descendants." Lucy scanned through the rest of the page to find any other vital information.

"There's a footnote: Queen Geovanna's Matcher is found at… Magnolia Central Library! It's here! Maybe we'll be able to find something with that! What a coincidence! Or maybe... fate?" Levy flicked through the rest of the chapter before determining it was useless to them and shut the book, placing it back onto the shelf.

Getting up, the pair ran out of the aisle and went to the 'N' section for 'National Treasures', which was only next door. As if on cue, the first thing that caught their eye was a display case with a silver necklace, carved as a heart with an intricate pattern. They ran up to it, their breath taken away at its beauty. Levy jogged up behind it and found a small, leather-bound book. Her hands were shaking as she picked it up. Unwrapping the rope that held it together, Lucy rested her hand on her shoulder, curiosity getting the better of her.

On the very first page, in neat cursive writing, they began to read, "on Earth and across all the lands that are a part of the planet, live only a few types of magic. One of them, is brought through a piece of jewellery called a Matcher. On every child's first birthday, a ceremony occurs where they are brought to one of the million Matcher facilities to pick, on their own accord, their Matcher."

"The piece of jewellery is then bonded to the holder and bonded to the corresponding Matcher and its soulmate. A child will either choose a lock or a key which will grow with as they age. It is then, that the piece of jewellery will be locked, with no way to remove it until the day soulmates share another type of magic. However, Matchers will only ever be 'unlocked' if both parties share something."

"This form of magic was created so the heartbreak of not finding love, not being loved or not loving, could be avoided." Levy finished reading the first page and let a sigh release from her. "Wow… that was heavy."

"Wait, Levy. It said that the Matchers will unlock if 'both parties share something'… 'another type of magic'."

"I don't know, but we need to get out of here. It's been too long and I've got an uneasy feeling. Let's go, I'll remember this, don't worry." Levy placed the book right back where they found it, as if it were untouched and ran out.

* * *

"You guys… committed a crime?" Was all Natsu could spit out.

"No! Well, yes. But that's not the point here. That magic the book was talking about… Based on the history of Queen Geovanna, what else could that be?"

"Cupid's magic? Love?"

"That's what I thought at first too… that is the **only** magic! Right?" Lucy stood up and started pacing around her room. "But that can't be right… Onyx and Willa were just strangers… Igneel and my mother too…"

"But Gray and Juvia, and Jellal and Erza were already going out when they tried their Matchers…"

"Levy and Gajeel too… It doesn't make sense. So, it can work with or without love?"

Natsu laid on the ground as he tried to rack his brain for any indication of what it could be. "Well, it would have to be without love. What did **we** do, that the others didn't?"

"Natsu! That's it!"

"What?"

"Remember? The first time we tried it… we did it for shits and-"

"giggles…" The male exhaled as he tried to piece the rest of the puzzle together. "But still, what does the mean? The magic that should be shared is 'be serious'? That doesn't make any sense…"

"I know… but actually… I think you might be onto something… what if it's the opposite of seriousness?" Out loud, Lucy flicked through acronyms. "light-hearted, cheerful… wait, maybe it's not seriousness. Matchers have to do with our heart, right?"

"Right…"

"So, because we were doing it as a joke, that would mean that we were half-heartedly committing. The opposite of that is enthusiasm but that still isn't a magic… but… another word for enthusiasm is passionate!" The blonde looked down at Natsu, realisation in her eyes. "Natsu! The magic that has to be shared by both parties, is passion."

"Lucy, you're a genius! That was awesome what you just did!" Now standing up, Natsu embraced her in a hug. "You know, it didn't matter why it didn't work, as long as it did worked."

"I think it's amazing that Matchers need to work on the basis of passion. Otherwise, people would be together just because they're soulmates. But, people should be together because they love each other and they are passionate for each other. Queen Geovanna was amazing."

"No, Luce. You're amazing."

Before she could stop herself, Lucy let out the four words she never thought she would say to her best friend, "I love you, Natsu. Thank you…"

Taken aback, Natsu stumbled a little and blushed. "I-I… yeah…"

Giggling, the blonde snuggled into his shoulder, smiling as her long journey had finally ended. "You better not give up on me…" Lucy mumbled, her past with Onyx fading in her mind.

"You better not leave me…" Smiling, Natsu let go of the pain from Lexi, embracing the fire that was burning in his heart. "Let's eat now..." the male laughed, wiping the snot from his nose.

* * *

 **Well... that's it. No more chapters and no preview.**

 **Thank you everyone who has been here and those who have just arrived. Although the story was short, I hope you've enjoyed it. I've actually got quite a long story that's in the works (but it won't be out till a few months) so prepare for that. Anyways, your support has been amazing and I really appreciate all of your reviews and the amount of people who have read this story. Thank you and Timothynvb, out!**


	12. Epilogue

**Hey guys... heh *sheepishly looks down at the ground* Well... you guys really asked for an epilogue and I thought "why not? Doesn't seem like a bad idea" and it's also a lovely way to end the story. So, even though I said the story was finished with no more chapters, I think we can make an exception this one time. It's only very short (wrote it in like 10 minutes) and I don't want to give you guys too much detail on what happened. I think I like it better when imaginations run wild. So, without further ado... Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer - I do not own Fairy Tail.**

* * *

"Natsu... are you ready? This is a massive moment." The blonde already had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Luce, of course I'm ready. I think..." He shot his famous toothy grin as he tickled the infant's chin, making him giggle, "how about you, little one?"

"Lucy and Natsu Dragneel? We are ready for you." The worker smiled as she lead the way to a secluded room.

Once the door closed behind them, the procedure started. Lucy placed their son on the ground as he looked up at her with his large eyes.

"C'mon Ryuu. You've got this!" Natsu cheered.

The baby waddled around the room, passing many small papers and even knocked down a jar full of them. Then, he plopped himself onto the ground and stared straight up to the ceiling. Time seemed to stop and mysteriously, a breeze wafted into the room, picking up some of the papers.

"No way..." Lucy breathed, a wave of goosebumps travelling through her body.

However, as soon as it came, the papers dropped to the floor. They had only shifted slightly but to Ryuu, that didn't matter. Giggling, he pointed up to the ceiling as 'mama' and 'dada' came out of his mouth.

The worker ran out of the room and soon arrived back with two others and a ladder. Natsu had scooped him up into his arms, pinching his stomach as he laughed loudly. One of the workers came down from the ladder and tapped Lucy on the shoulder.

"Here, I believe this is your son's Matcher code. I'll be back with the jewellery soon." She bowed and ran out, chanting the numbers and letters out loud.

"Where did you get this from?" The blonde asked another worker.

"It was stuck on one of the lights. Who knows how your son found it. Miracle really." He chuckled as he struggled to get the ladder out of the door.

"Natsu..." the blond sobbed. "O-our little boy... he's going to be ok... nothing is going to get in his way... he's going to be ok..."

"Luce, **I** could've told you that. Of course he's going to be ok. After all, he's got you to guide him. Now stop all that cryin'! It's a happy day! Ryuu's first birthday!" Natsu threw him up in the air.

The female wiped her tears and snot before smiling proudly. "I know."

"Here we are!" The worker walked back into the room with a small envelope in her palm. "This here, parents, is your boy's Matcher. Now be sure not to let him damage it and most of all, good luck."

Lucy reached for the envelope, her hands shaking and hesitant. Wrapping one arm around her shoulder, her husband grinned. The blonde poured its contents out onto her hand and there, sat a small sliver locket with a simple carving covering it.

Natsu fist-bumped the air, shouting, "I knew it! 5 bucks for guessing it was a lock, Luce! Don't forget to pay up..."

The female laughed as she wrapped the bracelet around Ryuu, who was now fast asleep. Caressing his cheek, Lucy whispered, "now it's your turn to find your missing key."

* * *

The blonde haired teen stood in front of his mother, his onyx eyes glinting in the light as he wiped his palms on his shirt. They were sweaty.

"Ryuu? What's going on?" Lucy inquired, her eyebrows furrowed and her hands on her hip. "I thought I told you to come home from school straight-away. Do you know what time it is? We were supposed to leave for grandpa's house-"

"Mum... I was doing... stuff."

"Stuff? Are you kidding me? That's your explanation? If you're going to lie to me, you need to do better than that."

"Luce! Are you encouraging lying?!" Natsu exclaimed from the kitchen.

"Dad! Come over here! I've got something important to tell you!" Ryuu screamed back. In no time at all, both his mother and father were standing before him.

"Well, if it's serious, you better be quick. Your brother and sister are going to be home from Wendy's house soon." The female warned.

"Yes... well..."

"What is it? Wait! Don't tell me... you've finally got yourself a 'more than friendly' friend?" The male chuckled and then shook his head as if it could never come true, teasing him.

"Dad... actually, you're not too far from the truth."

Their jaws went slack. "Ryuu... don't tell me. Show me your wrist!" Lucy reached out for it but he pulled away. That answered her question.

Opening the front door from behind him, he welcomed in a petite girl with black, long hair and blue eyes. She bowed politely as she shuffled closer to Ryuu.

"This here, is my girlfriend. We've actually been dating for almost 6 months and... uh... I thought I'd finally introduce you to her." Both Natsu and Lucy were speechless as they shot glances at each other. "I know what you must be thinking, 'oh Ryuu! You're only 17, this isn't love' but trust me on this, I **do** love her."

The girl blushed a deep red. "M-me too. I l-love your son." Her eyes were puffy, as if she had been crying.

"Darling... we **do** trust you. We would never tell you what is and isn't love. As long as you're passionate." Lucy gave Natsu a smile and he nodded knowingly back at her. The blonde turned to face Ryuu's partner. "Hello, dear. Welcome to the family. What's your name?"

"I'm Layla. Thank you for being so kind-" Lucy embraced the teen into a hug, tears burning her eyes. "U-uh..."

"Oh, Layla... you know what? You're amazing... I know you're Lay... thank you, darling. You've done good." She sobbed. "Eyes are windows into peoples' souls. You've experienced much sadness... but, there's no need to worry anymore." From only the few moments that they have interacted, Lucy had already identified herself with the teen.

Layla burst into tears. "thank you..."

"Ryuu... is there anything else you want to tell us?" Natsu smirked, slapping him on the back.

"Mum, Dad, I've found my missing key." The boy grinned as he held up his silver bracelet, the locket glinting in the light along with a gold necklace with a key.

"Luce..." The pink-haired male tugged at his scarf as he rubbed his wife's back. "Ryuu's ok. We were right. Nothing stood in his way and he made it out ok."

"Even through everything, I think I've found someone that won't give up on me... that won't abandon me." Ryuu reached to hold Layla's hand.

 _We don't meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason. A soulmate is not someone that comes into your life peacefully. It is someone who comes to make you question things, who changes your reality, somebody that marks a before and after in your life. It is not the human being everyone has idealised but an ordinary person, who manages to revolutionize your world in a second._

* * *

 **Well, thank you all for tuning in for this spontaneous epilogue. I think this epilogue is a nice tie-up to the story so thank you for suggesting it. Maybe something more will come from this story? I'm not sure but I like the idea of stemming from this epilogue. Anyways, till next time... See ya!**


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